Life and deeds of General Sherman, including the story of his great march to the sea ..

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COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT

GENERAL W. T. SHERMAN

Life and Deeds

of

General Sherman

Includiog the Story of His

Great March to the Sea '

BEING A GRAPHIC NARRATIVE OF

His Boyhood and Early Life ; Education at West Point ; Career
in Florida, California and Louisiana ; Daring Deeds
at Shiloh, Corinth and Vicksburg ; Sublime
Achievements in the Georgia and Tenn-
essee Campaigns, and Closing
Scenes of the Great
Struggle, etc., etc.,

COMPRISING

Thrilling Descriptions of Battles, Marches, and Victories;
Personal Anecdotes ; Life as a Citizen ; Last Sickness
and Death ; the Nation's Sorrow, and Magnifi-
cent Tributes to the

GREAT COMMANDER, HERO and PATRIOT

By Henry Davenport Northrop

SUPERBLY EMBELLISHED WITH STRIKING ILLUSTRATlONa

PHILADELPHIA :

NATIONAL PUBLISHING CO.,
239 Levant Street.

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JUL - 1 1898

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PREFACE

The story of General Sherman's brilliant career is
one of the most interesting ever told. His early
life was spent in poverty and obscurity; he rose to
the highest pinnacle of fame. Fortune was against
him ; he conquered it ; he was a conqueror through-
out his eventful life. Without wealth or outside
influence to lift him above his surroundings, he
carved his name high before the eye of the world,
and died amidst the honors of the nation he defended
so nobly.

Like nearly all Americans who have achieved fame,
Sherman was a self-made man. He was a patriot
who courted sacrifice and death ; he was a leader of
undaunted bravery, brilliant strategy, and unfaltering
resources. His rank is among the world's greatest
heroes, and his place is in the hearts of more than
sixty millions of people.

The complete story of his life, contained in this
volume, gives a graphic account of his boyhood and
youth. The reader sees him struggling with early
trials ; the sturdy boy grows into the manly youth,
pressing on in his eager pursuit of an education. He
enters the Military Academy ; he graduates with

iv PREFAc:6.

honor, and is fully equipped for his magnificent mili-
tary career.

General Sherman is then seen among the Ever-
glades of Florida, at Fort Moultrie in South Carolina,
and on the Pacific Coast. The outbreak of the war
finds the gallant leader in Louisiana ; he sees that
war is inevitable, resigns his position, and appears in
Washington.

At the first battle of Bull Run, Sherman is a colonel;
he rises to the rank of brigadier of volunteers and is
sent to Kentucky. His upward strides are rapid, and
the reader next beholds him in command of a division
at Shiloh, where he displays consummate generalship
and heroism, and saves that famous battle. He is the
first to enter Corinth ; he takes command at Memphis;
he makes a bold attack on Vicksburg; and next ap-
pears upon the world-renowned field of Chattanooga.
Through the dense smoke and fiery glare of Mission-
ary Ridge the reader sees the commanding figure now
prominent before the nation, whose presence on the
field is the signal for victory.

These wonderful exploits, this daring heroism, this
extraordinary command of men, these magnificent
deeds which thrill two hemispheres, are ^depicted in
this work. The theme is brilliant and captivating.
Step by step the thrilling history is unfolded ; over
the pages armies march and charge, and the reader
moves amid startling scenes : the old days of heroism
and Spartan bravery are brought back.

The crowning achievement of General Sherman,

PREFACE. V

that which electrified the whole world, that which
even military men believed to be impossible, was his
celebrated march to the sea. This part of the narra-
tive has an extraordinary interest for the reader, and
is told in this volume by General Sherman himself,
who was as skilful and fascinating with the pen as he
was valiant with the sword. Here the great general
showed his remarkable foresight, burned the bridges
behind him, pushed into the enemy^s country, met
and mastered seeming impossibilities, and put the
, plendid climax upon his marvellous career.

We find him at Atlanta with an army which il
compelled to subsist upon the surrounding country.
Thence he marches to the Adantic. This almost
miraculous feat, resulting in the capture of Savan-
nah, the retreat of General Hardee from Charleston,
and other events of vast importance, is fully por-
trayed. The grave doubts as to the result all van-
ished before the masterly generalship, intrepid
courage, and perseverance of the illustrious leader.

Next the reader sees the two great generals, Sher-
man and Grant, face to face. The bloody days are
ended, the smoke of battle lifts from the field, the
noise of guns is hushed, and the world looks on in
wonder at the closing scenes of the greatest struggle
of modern times. Conspicuous in this thrilling period
of our history, his majestic form standing in the
nation's eye, we see the hero and patriot, the invin-
cible commander. He has received the surrender of
Johnston, and has acted a part no less remarkable and

Vi PREFACE*

successful than that of Grant in the Wilderness and
before Richmond,

This work also gives a striking picture of General
Sherman's life as a citizen. He was a genial man;
he was an admirable speech-maker ; he was the idol of
the nation : he was honored on every public occasion
where his commanding figure was seen ; his loyalty to
the old veterans was sincere and unwavering; his
popularity. among the army boys was surpassed by
that of no other general.

All readers are interested in personal anecdotes and
reminiscences concerning great men. In the long life
and checkered career of General Sherman many inci-
dents occurred, and account of which the public is
anxious to obtain. Stories of camp-life, long marches
hardships of the campaign, and anecdotes concerning
General Sherman's private life and intercourse with
his old comrades enliven the pages of this volume.
Side by side stand with him other brilliant heroes in
the nation's struggle, and a picture of him as a man
among men is presented.

The demonstration of sympathy and sorrow when
his death occurred has scarcely been paralleled in this
country. Sherman was loved by everybody, as well
as admired. His death struck home to the heart of
the nation. All classes of citizens, including the
President, members of the Cabinet, army and naval
officers, merchants, farmers, professional men, the
rich, the poor, vied with each other at his funeral *.n
telling of his glory and in honoring his memory.

CONTENTS.

BOOK I.

CHAPTER I.

J^ Rkmarkabi^e Famii^y.— The Ii,i,ustrious Commandsr»s
Bari^y Life and Struggi.es.— Born to be a Hero . . 17

CHAPTER II.

Education at West Point.— Chasing Savage Seminoi^ES in
THE South ... 25

CHAPTER III.
A Recruiting Officer. — Stirring Times in Cai^ifornia . 32

CHAPTER IV

Sherman's Romantic Marriage. — Banker in Cawfornia
AND New York. — Become a Lawyer 40

CHAPTER V.

Prophet and Patriot. — Advice to the War Department
THEATED AS A Proof of Insanity 50

CHAPTER VI.

Army of the Tennessee. — Sherman Co-operates with
Grant. — Forward Movements 65

CHAPTER VII.

From Ati,anta to the Sea. — ^Thrii,i.ing Story of One of
THE Greatest Feats in Military History ... 78

vii

Vlll CONTENTS.*

CHAPTER VIII.

Important Letter of Generai. Sherman.— The Country
DeIvUded in the Eari,y Part of the War. — Strange.
Charge op Lunacy 95

CHAPTER IX.
After the War.— Not a Candidate for the Presidency. —
Sketch of the Hero.— Life in New York . . .113

CHAPTER X.
Reminiscences of the Renowned Commander. — Ardent
Friendship for Grant. — Interesting Facts and Anec-
dotes 133

BOOK II.

CHAPTER XI.
Sherman at the Batti^e of Bui.Iv Run.— His Graphic Ac-
count of the Bi,oody Confwct 175

CHAPTER XII.
Events preceding the Batti^e of Shii^oh.— Rapid Move-
ments IN THE CUMBERI.AND VAI,I.EY AND SOUTH-WEST ""^T 189

CHAPTER XIII.
Sherman Saves the Batti^e of Shii^oh.— Vai,i,ey of Death.
—A Wai,!, of Iron.— Grant Praises Sherman's Heroism. 206

CHAPTER XIV.
Genkrai, Sherman's Graphic Description of the Batti^e
of Shii^oh 236

CONTENTS. 1|

CHAPTER XV.

pAca

T4JMLI.ING PEN-PiCTURB OI'' THE BATTI^E O^ ShILOH BY AN

Army Surgeon 254

CHAPTER XVI.
Generai, Sherman's Achievements at Vicksburg • . 270

CHAPTER XVII.
Sherman's Superb Vai^or at Chattanooga .... 314

CHAPTER XVIII.

Generai, Sherman's Fascinating Story of the Batti^e of
Chattanooga 357

CHAPTER XIX.

The Great Ati^anta Campaign.— Grand Forward Move-
ment 393

CHAPTER XX.
From Ati^anta to the Sea.— The Famous March . • ,417

CHAPTER XXI.
Brii,i,iant Campaign oe the Carownas . » o e • 450

CHAPTER XXII.

Surrender of Johnston to Sherman.— Capture of Fifty
Thousand Men 469

2 CONTENTS.

BOOK III.
CHAPTER XXin.

PAGB

Fatai, Ii,i,nbss.— The Giant Shorn o^ his Strbngth. —
Anxiety throughout the Nation 481

CHAPTER XXIV.

TlATTWNG WITH THE FOE.— A GaI,I,ANT FiGHT EOR I/IEE . . 490

CHAPTER XXV.

The STRUGGI.E Ended.— The Great Warrior's Last Bat-
Ti,E - . . 50.^

CHAPTER XXVI.
A Nation in Mourning.— Tributes of Love and Respect . 514

CHAPTER XXVII.

FiNAi< Obsequies oe Generai. Sherman.— Grand Proces-
sion OE Troops and Civic Bodies 529

CHAPTER XXVIIL

Gl^OWING EUI^OGIES UPON THE WORI^D-REKOWNED COM-
MANDER 548

BOOK L

STORY OF GENERAL SHERMAN'S
LIFE AND DEEDS.

CHAPTER I.

A Remarkable Family. — The Illustrious Com-
mander's Early Life and Struggles. — Born to
be a Hero.

A PATRIOTIC American, a wise, brave, skilfui soldier,
A sincere, earnest, friendly man, General Sherman
died honored and beloved by numberless personal
friends and by millions of his countrymen. In a
sense broader than that of a military genius. General
Sherman was a orreat man. He showed in his war
correspondence that he had the learning of the scholar
and the wisdom of the statesman. Such men do not
die ; they pass on from among their surviving old
comrades of camp and field to a grander life, to the
reward of men who are good and great.

Like Grant, Meade, and Sheridan, General Sher-
man had not only military genius ; he had the high-
est qualities of a citizen of the great Republic. He
entered the service of his country as one who was
willing, if need be, to die. He gave it no half-hearted,
2 17

18 GENERAL SHERMAN.

halting service, and the mighty energy he so continu-
ously displayed on the march and in the assault was
as much the inspiration of his loyal heart as of his
alert mind and vigorous body.

A Brilliant Record.

Sherman's education wsls unusually liberal and
comprehensive before the war began. He was grad-
uated from the West Point Military Academy with
distinction ; he served in the army v/ith credit and
usefulness as second and as first lieutenant and as
captain. Subsequently resigning his commission, he
became a banker and lawyer, and still later on a rail-
road president and the superintendent of the Louisiana
State Military Institute ; which latter position he re-
signed, when Louisiana seceded from the Union, in a
letter that was in the highest degree creditable to his
honor and patriotism. He was nearly forty-one years
old when the Civil War began, and was then in ilu:
fullest vigor of physical and mental health. His fine
intelligence, his diverse education, his varied associa-
tions and intercourse with men of distinction in dif-
ferent walks of life, had peculiarly fitted him for the
great work to which his country called him at the
beginning of the war.

The story of his achievements is one of the most
glorious and precious records of his country, and
most conspicuous In It is that chapter of it known to
his countrymen, to the admirers of military genius of
all countries — the march through Georgia from the
mountains to the sea. It was the grandeur of this

EARLY LIFE AND STRUGGLES.

19

great movement, the grandeur of Its courage and
of its results, which will render it forever remark-
able.

No soldier of ancient or modern history more com-
pletely burned his bridges behind him than did Sher-
man when he marched out of Atlanta at the head of
i'^it great Union host, the objective point of which
was die Atlantic Ocean, the purpose of which was to
cut through the Confederacy in Its most vital part,
and to bring its chief support, the army of Lee, be-
tween two fires, that of Grant and Meade and that of
Sherman. As It was planned, it was executed — with-
out a single failure at any point. All that was antici-
pated from it was reahi^d, and history wrote one of Its
most thrilling chapters that day when Sherman, turning
his back upon the mountains, set out upon his march
to the sea.

It is Impossible to form any just estimate of the
value of services such as this Illustrious soldier ren-
dered his country In Its time of greatest need. He
was one of those who stood as an Impregnable fort-
ress In defence of national unity. He offered to the
cause of Union and freedom all that man has to offer
— intellect, strength, and even that for which all things
else will be freely sacrificed, life. General Sherman's
was the genius of both planning and doing. He
thought and he wrought with magnificent courage
and effective skill for his country, and his efforts were
crowned with success, ^n the sudden making of
splendid names his name became one which Inspired

20 GENERAL SHERMAN.

armies with confidence and assured the soldierly en-
deavor which achieved triumphs.

Such men are so truly great that their countrymen

can only reverently salute them and resolve to keep

their deeds in grateful remembrance as they, pass

from the world which was better for their living in it.

Sherman's Ancestors.

The Sherman family from which William Tecumseh
Sherman sprang was of English descent. In the rec
ords of the British Museum there is an account of the
Shermans of Laxley, in the county of Suffolk, dating
as far back as 1616. There was another branch of
the family in Dedham, Essex county. The first Sher-
man whose name is found recorded in this country
was Edmond, who, with his three sons, Edmond,
Samuel, and John, was at Boston before 1636. In
the History of Anciejit Woodbury, Connecticut, it is
stated that Samuel Sherman, the Rev. John Sherman,
and Captain John, his first cousin, arrived from Ded-
ham in 1634. This Captain John was the ancestor
of Roger Sherman, the signer of the Declaration of
Independence. The Ohio Shermans trace their de-
scent from Samuel Sherman and his brother John, the
clergyman.

All these Shermans and their children were men of
prominence in their respective places. They were
justices, judges, commissioners, representatives in
the Assembly, town-clerks — in fact, they were good
office-seekers, lucky in getting what they wanted, and
pretty deserving men generally. In religion they

EARLY LIFE AND STRUGGLES. 21

were rigid Presbyterians. In politics, when the
struggle for independence came, they were rebels.

The Family Settles in Ohio.

When James Monroe became President in 1817, he
made Lawyer Charles R. Sherman, of Norwalk, Conn.,
a collector of internal revenue Two of his deputies
robbed the Government, and involved him in financial
embarrassment from which he never recovered. In
the hope of bettering his condition he went West in
1 82 1, leaving his wife behind him in Connecticut. A
year later he sent for her, and under the escort of
some friends and neighbors she travelled on horse-
back over the Alleghanies, holding her infant child on
a pillow in front of her. The new home was in Lan-
caster, O. Mr. Sherman in a short time won great
prominence as an able, eloquent, and judicious
advocate.

His reputation soon extended over the entire Statev
and his practice was very large and fairly remunera-
tive. In 1823, when he was only thirty-five years of
age, the Legislature of Ohio elected him a judge of
the Supreme Court.

This was upon the recommendation of his fellow-
citizens, as follows :

"Somerset, Ohio, July 6, 1821.

" May it please your Excellency :

" We ask leave to recommend to your Excellency's
favorable notice Charles R. Sherman, Esq., of Lan-
caster, as a man possessing in an eminent degree

22 GENERAL SHERMAN.

those qualifications so much to be desired in a judge

of the Supreme Court.

" From a long acquaintance with Mr. Sherman we
are happy to be able to state to your Excellency that
our minds are led to the conchision that that gentle-
man possesses a disposition noble and generous, a
mind discriminating, comprehensive, and combining a
heart pure, benevolent, and humane. Manners digni-
fied, mild, and complaisant, and a firmness not to be
shaken and of unquestioned integrity.

"But Mr. Sherman's character cannot be unknown
to your Excellency, and on that acquaintance without
further comment we might safely rest his pretensions

"We think we hazard little in assuring your Ex-
cellency that his appointment would give alniost uni-
versal satisfaction to the citizens of Perry county."

He was soon after appointed a judge of the Su-
preme Court, and served in that capacity to the day
of his death. Admirably fitted for the bench, his
written opinions prove that he possessed a fine legal
mind. His manner was kind and considerate, and to
know him was to be his friend. The salary attached
to the office was barely sufficient to support himself
and his large family, so that v/hen he suddenly died
at Lebanon, O., June 24, 1829, in the noon of his
fame and at the age of forty-one, those dependent on
him were almost totally unprovided for, and the family
was suddenly thrown on its own resources.

In this emergency the rcjavives and friends of her

EARLY LIFE AND STRUGGLES. 23

husband came to the assistance of the widow and her
eleven children. Two of them were adopted by an
aunt. John, afterward United States Senator and ex-
Secretary of the Treasury, went to live with an uncle,
and Thomas Ewing, who had then been United States
Senator and Secretary of the Treasury, took William
Tecumseh into his family and educated him as one of
his own children.

Adopted by Mr. Ewing.

The story of the adoption is interesting. Mr.
Ewing, who was not only a warm friend, but also a
distant relative of Judge Sherman, drove across the
country to the Sherman home as soon as he heard of
the death. He knew the family was large, that they
were very poor, and he resolved to take one of the
children until the fortunes of the house grew brighter.
Mrs. Sherman was unable to decide which one of the
little ones to surrender. After a tearful consultation
she and her eldest daughter accompanied Mr. Ewing
out of doors, where the boys were romping on the
grass.

" Well," said Mr. Ewing, " which one of 'em shall I
take ? They all look alike to me."

The distressed mother* was still unable to decide,
when the daughter, snatching up one of them in her
arms and holding him out, said, "Well, Mr. Ewing, if
you must take one, take ' Cump,' because he is the
smartest."

"All right, then — 'Cump' it is," said Mr. Ewing,
taking the child in his arms and placing him in his

24 GENERAL SHERM/^.

carriage. Mr. Ewing took him to his family, and, says
General Sherman, " ever after treated me as his own
son." " Cump " was then nine years of age, having
been born in Lancaster, February 8, 1820. His father
knew and admired the Indian chief Tecumseh, which
accounts for his middle name.

You nor Sherman was sent to the Lancaster Acad-
emy by his benefactor. It was the best educational
establishment in the place — as good a school, in fact,
as any in Ohio at the time. He studied all the or-
dinary branches, including Latin, Greek, and French.
The years passed on, and one day a note came from
Senator Ewing, who was in Washington, notifying
him to prepare for the Military Academy at West
Point. Previous to this, however, Sherman was al-
lowed in 1834 to work during that fall and the follow-
ing spring as rodman for a surveyor who was making
surveys for a canal to connect with the great Ohio one
at Carroll, eight miles above Lancaster. He was paid
a silver half-dollar for each day's actual work, and this
was the first money he earned.

MAJOR-GENERAL llEiNRY \V. S LOCUM.

CHAPTER II.

Education at West Point. — Chasing Savage
Seminoles in the South.

During the autumn and spring of 1835-36 young
Sherman worked hard studying mathematics and
French, the chief requisites for admission to West
Point. The letter of appointment came early in 1836
from the Secretary of War, Mr. Poinsett. Sherman
made the journey to Washington to see Mr. Ewing.
A week was spent at the capital. General Jackson
was then at the height of his power, and General
Sherman has left it on record how he spent an hour
looking through the wooden railings which then ran
around the White House at " Old Hickory " as he
walked up and down inside. In less than thirty years
his own fame as a soldier was destined to surpass that
of the hero of New Orleans.

The start for the academy was made, and on June
1 2 he stepped, in New York, on board the steamer
Cornelius Vanderbilt, and finished the last stage of his
journey.

He joined the class of 1836 and went through the
regular course of four years, graduating in June, 1840,
No. 6 in a class of forty-three. The class originally
was more than one hundred. "At the academy," says
the general, " I was not considered a good soldier, for

25

26 GENERAL SHERMAN.

at no time was I selected for any office, but remained
a private throughout the whole four years. Then, as
now, neatness in dress and form, with a strict con-
formity to the rules, were the qualifications required
for office, and I suppose I was found not to excel in
any of these. In studies I always held a respectable
reputation with the professors, and generally ranked
among the best, especially drawing, chemistry, mathe-
matics, and natural philosophy. My average demerits
per annum were about one hundred and fifty, which
reduced my final class standing from No. 4 to No. 6."
Early Service in the South.

After graduation and the usual three months' fur-
lough he was commissioned second lieutenant in the
Third Artillery, and ordered to report the following
September at Governor's Island in New York har-
bor. There he was placed in command of a com-
pany of recruits preparing for service in Florida. In
less than a month the company, with three others, was
ordered to Savannah, Ga. They embarked in a sail-
ing vessel for that port, where they were transferred
to a small steamer and taken to St. Augustine, Fla.
General Taylor was then in command in Florida, with
headquarters at Tampa Bay.

The Third Artillery, Sherman's regiment, occupied
the posts along the Atlantic coast from St. Augus-
tine to Key Biscayne, his own company being sta-
tioned at Fort Pierce, on the Indian River. He was
detached from the company of recruits and joined his
own command. In November preparations were be-

MESS HALL.

NQRIH BARRACKS,

ACADEMV^BUILDIRa

BARRACKS.

AT WEST POINT.

27

28 GENERAL SHERMAN.

gun for active operations against the Indians, the ob-
ject being to catch the scattered bands of Seminoles
then on the Peninsula and send them to join their
tribe in the newly-estabhshed Indian Territory. The
Hfe was not without its perils. The Indians did not
want to leave, and frequently offered resistance with
disastrous consequences to themselves as well as to
the military

First Promotion.

In November, 1841, Sherman received his first pro-
motion, being made the first lieutenant of Company
G. He left Fort Pierce and joined his new command
at St. Augustine. Shortly afterward he was placed
in command of a detachment of twenty men at Pico-
lata, on the St. John's River. He remained there
only a few months, having been ordered on duty
which took him to Pensacola. Thence he was sent
to Fort Morgan, Mobile Point.

He was now quartermaster and commissary. The
following June found him in Fort Moultrie, the regi-
ment having been changed from the Gulf posts to
those on the Atlantic. " We remained at Fort Moul-
trie," says General Sherman, " nearly five years, until
the Mexican war scattered us for ever. Our life
there was of strict garrison duty, with plenty of leis-
ure for huntine and social entertainment. We soon
formed many and most pleasant acquaintances in the
city of Charleston, and it soon happened that many of
the families resided at Sullivan's Island in the summer
season, where we could reciprocate the hospitalities

30 GENERAL SHERMAN.

extended to us In the winter." This life was inter-
rupted by a brief leave of absence in 1843, which he
spent in Ohio and in visiting some of the principal
Southern cities.

First March through Georg-ia.

An order came from the War Department at Wash-
ington in January, 1844, which, curiously enough, took
him through the country over which he was in after
years to sweep at the head of a conquering army on
one of the most famous expeditions in all military
history — the " march to the sea." It was a detail to
assist Colonel Churchill, the inspector-general of the
army, in taking depositions in Upper Georgia and
Alabama concerning certain losses by volunteers ii?
Florida of horses and equipment by reason of the
failure of the United States to provide sufficient for-
age, and for which Congress had made an appropria-
tion.

The order directed him to go to Marietta, where
Churchill was conducting the investigation. It was all
over in two months, when Sherman rode south on
horseback by way of Rome, Allatoona, Marietta, At-
lanta, Madison, and Augusta, Ga. "Thus, by a mere
accident," says Sherman, " I was enabled to traverse
on horseback the very ground where, in after years, I
had to conduct vast armies and fight great battles.
That tiie knowledge thus acquired was of infinite use
^Q me, and consequently to the Government, I have
always felt and stated."

SERVICE IN THE SOUTH. 31

Meets with an Accident.

ifn the winter of 1 844 his right shoulder was dislo-
cated by the fall of his horse while hunting deer on
the Cooper River. He suffered severely, and spent a
short leave of absence which was allowed him in the
North. He was back in Fort Moultrie by March,
1845. Congress had about this time passed a joint
resolution providing for the annexation of Texas,
then an independent republic, and the army and the
country looked for an immediate war with Mexico.
General Taylor had assembled some regiments of in-
fantry and one of dragoons at Fort Jessup, La., and
the orders from Washington were that he should ex-
tend military protection to Texas against the Indians
or a "foreign country'' when the terms of annexation
were agreed to. The terms were accepted in July,
and he moved his troops to Corpus Christi, at which
point during the summer and fall of 1845 ^^s concen-
trated the army that in the spring of the following
year was to begin the Mexican War.

CHAPTER III.

A Recruiting Officer. — Stirring Times in
California.

A CO. '^ \Ny of Sherman's regiment was ordered
fr'jm Fort ivouitrie to Corpus Christi, but it was net
his, and before the other companies were directed to
follow Shermaj was detached for recruiting service,
May I, 1846. That detail took him out of the Mexican
War and deprived him of the promotion it brought
to so many. Perhaps it also preserved him for the
greater work he was to do. The recruiting order
wrought him back again to Governor's Island. The
Pittsburgh district was given to him, and he took up
his headquarters at the St. Charles Hotel in that city
early in May. Recruits were in very active demand,
and he was authorized to open a sub-rendezvous at
Zanesville, Ohio.

He had been at Pittsburgh only a few weeks when
the stirring news of the battle of Palo Alto excited the
entire country. " That I should be on recruiting
service," says Sherman, " when my comrades were
actually fighting was intolerable, and I hurried to my
post at Pittsburgh. I wrote to the adjutant-general
at Washington, asking him to consider me as an appli-
cant for any active service, and saying that I would
willingly forego the recruiting detail, which I well knew

32

STIRRING TIMES IN CALIFORNIA. 33

plenty of others would jump at. Impatient to approach
the scene of active operations, without authority — and,
I suppose, wrongfully — I left my corporal in charge of
the rendezvous, and took all the recruits I had made
in a steamboat to Cincinnati, turning them over to
Major N. C. McCrea, commanding at Newport Bar-
racks. I then reported to Cincinnati, where the super-
intendent of the Western recruiting service Inquired
by what authority I had come away from my post. I
argued that I took it for granted he wanted all the re-
cruits he could get to forward to the army, and did
not know but that he might want me to go along. In-
stead of appreciating my volunteer zeal, he cursed
and swore at me for leaving my post without orders,
and told me to go back to Pittsburgh."

He went back, and the following June received
orders relieving him from the recruiting business, and
assigning him to Company F, then under orders for
California. This brought him once more to Gover-
nor's Island.

Early Days in California.

Over in Brooklyn the United States storeship Lex-
ington was then being fitted out for the long journey
around Cape Horn to California. The Lexington at
last was ready, In July, 1846, and they sailed. Among
that party of officers were Ord and Halleck. It was
a slow, tedious voyage. The first port made was
Rio de Janeiro, at the end of sixty days. They had
a good time on shore for a week, seeing Dom Pedro
and his then young empress, the daughter of the king

34 GENERAL 8HERMAN.

of Sicily. Throne and empress have passed away,
ind only Dom Pedro himself remains, the last per-
haps of all.

The Lexington resumed her voyage, and in Octo-
ber saw the snows of the Cape. In sixty days from
Rio, Valparaiso was reached. There they heard news
about the war, the events of which up to that time
had been a sealed volume. At last, about the middle
of January, the California coast began to loom up,
and wlien the high mountains about Santa Cruz came
in view a boat with Lieutenant Henry Wise, master
of the Independence frigate, that they had left at Val-
paraiso, came alongside. He told them that Cali-
fornia had broken out into insurrection ; that General
Kearney had reached the country and been beaten in
a severe battle ; and much else which was not strictly
fact.

Ready to Fight.

When the old Lexington dropped anchor in the
Bay of Monterey, Jan. 26, 1847, after a voyage of two
less than two hundred days from New York, all on
board were ready to fight at once. But when they
went on shore, nothing could be more peaceful than
Monterey. No fighting was necessary. Sherman
was then quartermaster and commissary, and he had
abundance of work on his hands for a few weeks.
But he soon had leisure enough, and he employed it
in learning something about the country in which the
chances of war, although it was all peace to him, had
thrown him. Sherman was not making much history

STIRRING TIMES IN CALIFORNIA. S6

then, but the vivid story of the scenes and incidents
in those distant California days which he tells shows
that- if he was denied the chance to make history, he
knew how to write it.

Making Surveys.

Sherman was acting assistant adjutant- general of
the Department of California until February, 1849,
when he was transferred to San Francisco on similai
duty on the staff of General Persifer Smith, com-
manding the Division of the Pacific. There was very
little to do, and General Smith encouraged Sherman
and two or three other officers to go into any business
that would enable them to make money. Sherman
made a contract to survey Colonel J. D. Stevenson's
newly-projected city, which was to be called " New
York of the Pacinc," at che mouth of the San Joaquin
River. The contract embraced also the making of
soundings and the markmg out of a channel through
Suisun Bay. For this work he got five hundred dol-
lars and ten or fift^ien lots. Sherman sold enough
lots to make an additional five hundred dollars,
"and," he tells us, " let the balance go, for the ' City
of New York of the Pacific ' never came to any-
thing."

Subsequently he made a bargain with a Mr. Hart-
nett to survey his ranch at Consumnees River in the
Sacramento Valley. General Ord was associated
with him in this work. It took about a month to
make this survey, which, when finished, was duly
plotted, and for -it they received one-tenth of the land

36 GENERAL SHERMAN.

or two sub-dlvislons. Sherman by the sale of the
land subsequently realized three thousand dollars.
Ord and he did some work for a man named Bailor,
who paid them five hundred dollars a day for the
party. He invested these earnings in Sacramento
Cit}' lots, on which he made fair profit.

General Smith had promised Sherman that he
would send him East the first opportunity, and the
chance came in December, 1849. Smith was in
Oregon, and from there he sent despatches to Sher-
man, to be delivered in person to General Winfield
Scott, who was then in New York. He came back by
way of Panama. Scott questioned him closely, he
s;4ys, in regard to affairs on the Pacific coast, and
" Uartled me with the assertion that *our country was
01 the eve of a terrible civil war.' He interested me
by anecdotes of my old army comrades in his recent
battles around the city of Mexico, and I felt deeply
the fact that our country had passed through a foreign
war, that my comrades had fought great battles, and
yet I had not heard a hostile shot. Of course I
thought it the last and only chance in my day and
that my career as a soldier was at an end."

Sent to Washing-tou by General Scott. ^

By order of Scott, Sherman went to Washington
to lay before Secretary of War Crawford the de-
spatches he had brought from California. He found
Mr Ewing Secretary of the Interior, and of course
his position was in every way assured. Crawford, he
says, questioned him on California, but he seemed to

STIRRING TIMES IN CALIFORNIA. 3?

be Interested In the country chiefly as It related to
slavery and the route through Texas. The President,
Zachary Taylor, whom he had never met, although
he had served under him in Florida in 1840-41, re-
ceived him with great kindness, told him that he had
heard his name mentioned with praise, and that he
would be pleased to do him any act of favor. A few
years before, if he had spoken these words to the re-
cruiting officer at Pittsburgh, he would have promptly
asked him to take him with him Into Mexico.

Very wonderful stories are told of those old days In
California, Persons are now livlna- who can remember
well when gold was first discovered, and how the gold
fever swept like wild-fire over the country. Men left
home, family, friends, and all their pleasant surround-
ings In the East to make their fortunes on the Pacific
coast. The country was in a craze; men were mad
to obtain sudden fortunes.

Eag^er for Gold.

Life in California at that time was of course rough
and wild. Men were their own diggers ; hands that
had never been hardened by work grew rough by
handling the spade ; wherever there was gold to be
had, a whole host was after It ; some men made for-
tunes, and many others lost the litde fortune they had
acquired In the East In the vain endeavor to obtain a
larger one in the West.

Sherman's life at this time, since It brought him into
contact with all grades of men, was well calculated to
prepare him for his future career in the service of the

S8 GENERAL 6HERMAN.

United States. It is particularly important that a
general should have a knowledge of men, should
know the interests by which they are influenced, and
should be able to control them at his will. Only a
man of experience who has seen a great deal of the
world can do this. One thing is particularly to be
noted, however ; which is, that General Sherman did
not in California make a fortune for himself. How-
ever rich the diggings might be, he was not himself a
" digger."

Men slept on the ground, and even during the
rainy season the sky was their only covering. As a
soldier in the service of the United States he had only
those comforts which soldiers obtain in the field. The
life of a soldier is hard anyway, and the only wonder
is that during his brief stay in California Sherman did
not break down under it. He was possessed, how-
ever, of an iron constitution, which served him ad-
mirably through his long life. The fibre of which
he was made was oak, not basswood.

A Fine City.

What a contrast between the California of to-day
and the California of forty years ago ! Now the wave
of civilization, sweeping westward, has struck the
Golden Gate. San Francisco, one of the great cities
of the Republic, has its inviting streets, lofty mercan-
tile establishments, costly public buildings, schools,
churches, and financial institutions, and in some re-
spects is the foremost city in the land. At the time
when Sherman traversed the vales and climbed the

STIRLING TIMES IN CALIFORNIA, S9

mountains of the country all this was but a dream, if
any one dreamed it at all.

As an instance of the kind of life United States
officers and soldiers led there, Sherman relates that
the servants whom General Smith had brought from
New Orleans, and who had pledged their word that
they would remain with him faithfully for a year, de-
serted him one after another. The ladies were left
without maid or attendant, and, says Sherman, with an
exquisite touch of humor, "The general commanding
all the mighty forces of the United States on the Pa-
cific coast had to scratch to get one good meal a day
for his family." There was no regular time for break-
fast, dinner, or supper ; breakfast could generally be
had by twelve o'clock, and " dinner according to cir-
cumstances," which circumstances varied from day to
day, so that the most uncertain thing was the dinner,
as no one knew when it was coming nor what it was
to be composed of when it did come.

We have been more particular to refer to this ex-
perience of Sherman on the Pacific coast in order to
bring out the varying struggles of his earlier days.
If he had been the scion of wealth he would never
have been the world-renowned commander. He was
to be a self-made man ; he was to make his own way
in the world ; he was to master the world — was to
put the world proudly beneath his feet ; he was to
rise above men, stretch out his arm over them and
give them command, and his early experience qual-
ified ^'^m for his magnificent career.

CHAPTER IV.

General Sherman's Romantic Marriage. — A
Banker in California and New York. — Be-
comes a Lawyer.

Sherman applied for leave of absence from army
duty, which was, of course, immediately granted. His
first visit was to the mother whose poverty had com-
pelled her to surrender him so many years before, to
Mr. Ewing. She was then living at Mansfield, Ohio.
All through these years, while he was in Florida and
California, they had been in constant correspondence,
and he contributed handsomely toward the support
of the family. He returned to Washington, and on
May I, 1850, he was married to his old playmate,
Miss Ellen Boyle Ewing, the daughter of the man of
whom he was the adopted child.

The marriage ceremony was attended by a large
and distinguished company. Daniel Webster, Henry
Clay, Thomas H. Benton, President Taylor, and the
entire Cabinet were among the guests. The cere-
mony took place at the residence of Mr. Ewing, the
old house subsequently owned by Francis P. Blair, on
Pennsylvania avenue, opposite the old War Depart
ment. The wedding-tour took the young officer —
hen only thirty years old — and his bride to Baltimore,

40

ADMIRAL DAVID D. PORTER.

A BANKER. 41

New York, Niagara, and Ohio. They returned to
Washington in July.

Taylor's death followed in a few days, and Sherman
attended the funeral as an aide-de camp at the request
of the adjutant-general of the army. Sherman's rank
at this time was only that of first lieutenant of the
Third Artillery. In the following September he joined
his command at Jefferson Barracks, Mo. He had not
been there very long when Congress increased the
commissary department by four new captains, and he
was made one of them. He was ordered to St. Louis,
where he relieved Captain A. J. Smith of the First
Dragoons. His commission bore date September 27,

1850. Sherman resided in St. Louis during the year

1 85 1, and in the summer of 1852 his family went to
Lancaster, but he remained at his post. In Septem-
ber, 1852, he was ordered to New Orleans, where he
remained until March, 1853. He then obtained six
months' leave of absence, and resigned from the army
September 6, 1853, to engage in the banking business
in San Francisco.

From Barracks to Banks.

Sherman sent his family to Ohio, and started for
California alone by way of Nicaragua. The captain
of the vessel lost his reckoning, and at the end of
eighteen days out the ship struck a reef north of San
Francisco, the engines stopped, and, although it was
four o'clock in the morning, the decks were soon
crowded with terrified passengers. The sea was
calm, and the ship, being already on the bottom, could

42 GENERAL SSEBMAN.

not sink. The passengers were soon taken on shore
and huddled on the beach under a bluff. Sherman
started off to make an examination of the country
and find out, if possible, where they were. He learned
that the ship had struck at Bantinas Creek, and that
a schooner was only waiting for the tide to sail to San
Francisco. Sherman sent back word to the captain
that he would go to San Francisco on the schooner
and send assistance. The schooner had not been
many hours at sea, however, when she was struck by
a squall which sent her over on her side. Sherman,
among the others, found himself in the water, but
they all managed to escape. He was picked up by a
passing boat. Finally, he got to San Francisco, but
if the weather had been stormy the chances are that
he could never have reached shore.
Bank Failure.
After makine all the investio^ations he desired
about the proposed banking business, he returned
to New York about July, 1853, and proceeded to
Lancaster, O., where his family was living. He ex-
plained the offer that had been made, the prospects
of success, and other matters connected with the enter-
prise. Having completed arrangements, he resigned
from the army, to take effect six months later. With
his family he left New York in September for San
Juan del Norte. He had then only one child, Lizzie,
who at the time was less than a year old. They
reached San Francisco safely on October 15. The ex-
soldier now plunged into all the mysteries of banking.

A BANKER. 43

The banking-house of Page, Bacon & Co. soon
became involved in trouble, and there was a run on
*^he San Francisco branch. The failure, of course,
involved all the other banks in the city, and the
Sherman institution was no exception. This was in
1855. When the doors of the Sherman house were
opened one morning, in rushed the crowd. Several
gentlemen asked if their money was safe, and on
being assured that it was they went away satisfied.
Before the day closed seventy-five thousand dollars
in gold bullion were paid out, and the bank was kept
open until the usual hour for closing, meeting all
demands upon it. It still had a respectable amount
left. The run was continued the next day, and finally
it weathered the crisis and was left with a standincr of
the very first class. Finally in 1855-56 business in
California became depressed. A great many enter-
prises failed. Foreign capital was withdrawn, and, on
the suggestion of Sherman, Mr. Lucas gradually drew
out of the business, settling all demands and giving
due notice to depositors. The house closed in April,
1857, having transacted its business in an honorable
way from first to last.

The Old "Vigilance" Days.

Sherman bore a very prominent part in the disorders
that arose in San Francisco about this time and which
led to the establishment of the Vigilance Committee.
But he was on the side of law and order, believing
that the courts were abundantly able to purge the city
of crime, and that all that wa? required was a vigorous

44 GENERAL SHERMAN.

execution of the law. The governor, Johnson, con-
sulted him about the reorganization of the militia, and
offered him a commission as major-general of the
second division of militia, which embraced the city of
San Francisco. Sherman accepted at first, but while
volunteers were numerous enouorh there were no
arms for them. In this emergency efforts were made
to induce General John E. Wood to loan some of the
Government rifles. He at first promised, but failed
to keep his engagement. Sherman made many un-
successful efforts to stop the high-handed action of the
Vigilance Committee, but finally withdrew from the
struggle and allowed things to take their course.

A Banker in New York.

After closing the bank, Sherman, on May i, 1857,
left San Francisco with his family, by way of Panama,
for New York. It had been arrano-ed that a branch
bank of the St. Leu is house was to be established
there, with Sherman in charge. Mr. Lucas, Major
Turner, and he met in New York in July to make the
necessary preparations. An office was rented at No.
12 Wall street, furniture was bought, and a teller,
bookkeeper, and porter hired. The new firm was to
bear the name of Lucas, Turner & Co. The office
was opened July 21, 1857, and at once began to
receive accounts from the West and from California.
Sherman went to live at No. 100 Prince street.

The Metropolitan Bank and Bank of America were
institutions at that time of good repute in New York,
and with these he established business relations. For

A BANKER. 45

a time prosperity crowned his efforts and his financial
success appeared to be assured. The struggles
through which he had passed in years gone by, and
the misfortunes which had attended some of his ven-
• tures, seemed to be over. This, as has already been
remarked, was in the year 1857, which was memor-
able for the greatest financial panic our country ever
saw. As a certain Friday which destroyed magnifi-
cent fortunes in Wall street has been called " Black
Friday," so 1857 might be called" the black year.

Financial Disaster.

Suddenly, like a thunderbolt falling from a clear
sky, on the 21st of August the failure of the Ohio
Life and Trust Company was announced; Wall street
was instantly convulsed and the city was in a panic;
with terrible swiftness the panic extended from New
York to every part of the countr) . Men went to bed
thinking they were rich, and wak^^d up to find they
were poor. Colossal fortunes were swept away as
the frail cottages in the valley of Johnstown were
carried like chips before the awful flood.

General Sherman says the panic was so much like
similar ones he had witnessed in San Francisco that
for a time he felt no alarm, considerine that he had
nothing very valuable at stake. He was simply'
amused, but the turn of affairs assumed a serious
aspect, and affected him as it did all others in the
community. Western stocks and securities shrank
to almost worthless figures, so that the banks which
Arid them and had borrowed money on them were

V

46 GENEEAL SHERMAN.

forced to pay their indebtedness at once or substitute
other collaterals of increased value.

Startling News.

The house with which General Sherman was con-
nected was not indebted to parties in New York at
all, but its correspondents in the West were deeply
involved, and felt extremely anxious concerning their
interests, and looked to General Sherman to protect
them. Early in September the New York banks
were threatened, having caught the general alarm,
and grave fears were entertained for their safety.

In the very midst of this panic came the news that
the steamer Central America, formerly the George
Law, with six hundred passengers and about one
million six hundred thousand dollars of treasure,
coming from Aspinwall, had foundered at sea off the
coast of Georgia, and that about sixty of the passen-
gers had been providentially picked up by a Swedish
bark and brought into Savannah. The absolute loss
of this treasure went to swell the confusion and panic
of the day.

All efforts to save the banks were unsuccessful; the
whole country was in the grasp of financial failure.
No man lost a single cent by the banking-house with
which Sherman was connected, which speaks vol-
umes for the integrity of those who managed its
affairs.

After helping to straighten matters out in New
York and St. Louis, Sherman again went to San
Francisco to see what he could do in the way of col-

A BANKEK. 4?

lectinor old debts due himself and the fii-m. He ad-
vertised that the notes held would be sold at auction
and. that the real estate would be sold. Having col-
lected all that was possible to be collected, he sailed
for home. He got back to Lancaster July 28, 1858,
free in every way, but confronted with the serious
problem of finding some means of supporting a wife
and four children.

A Kansas Lawyer.

He conferred with Mr. Ewing and others as to
what he should do — this man who was to be the great
soldier of the Republic less than six years later. He
wanted to be independent if he could. There were
coal and salt mines belonorinor to Mr. Ewino- at
Chauncey, O., but Sherman was not attracted toward
that part of Ohio. Two of the Ewing boys were at
Leavenworth, Kan., where they and their father had
bought a good deal of land, some in the town and the
greater portion back in the country. Mr. Ewing
offered Sherman the manaorement of his interest in
the speculation, and the boys were willing to give him
an equal copartnership in the law firm. He accepted
the offer, and was admitted to the bar, not by examina-
tion, but on the ground of general intelligence.

On the first day of the New Year, 1859, another
partner was admitted into the firm, which became
Sherman, Ewing & McCook. Business continued to
grow, but the income was hardly large enough for the
three partners, and Sherman consented to look out
for something more permanent and profitable. Th^t

48 GENEEAL SHERMAN.

spring he undertook to open a farm on a large tract
forty miles from Leavenworth for the benefit of Mn
Ewlng's grand-nephew, Henry Clark, and his grand-
niece, Mrs. Walker. There was only a little money
in it, but it helped to pass away the time.

Manag-er of a Military Academy.

In June, 1859, Sherman sent a note to] Major D.
C Buell, assistant adjutant-general, inquiring if there
was a vacancy among the paymasters or if he could sug-
gest any other military employment. Floyd was then
Secretary of War. Buell sent Sherman the programme
of a military college which was abcmt to be organized
in Louisiana, and advised him to apply for the posi-
tion of superintendent. Sherman at once addressed
a letter to Governor R. C. Wickliffe at Baton Rouge,
La. In July, 1859, Governor Wickliffe notified him
that he had been elected superintendent of the pro-
posed college, and asking him to come to Louisiana
as soon as possible, as they were anxious to put the
college into operation.

" For this honorable position," says Sherman in
telling the story of his life, " I was indebted to Majoi
D. C. Buell and General G. Mason Graham. During
the Civil War it was reported and charged that 1
owed my position to the personal friendship of
Generals Bragg and Beauregard, and that in taking
up arms against the South I had been guilty of a
breach of hospitality and friendship. I was not in-
debted to General Bragg, because he himself told me
that he was not even aware that I was an applicant.

A BANKER. 4^

and had favored die selection of Major Jenkins, an-
other West Point graduate. General Beauregard had
nothingr whatever to do with the matter."

Sherman reported to Governor Wickliffe, who by
virtue of his position was the president of the board
of supervisors of the new institudon, in the autumn of
1859. The college buildings were near Alexandria,
in the parish of Rapides. It was a large and hand-
some house, surrounded by about four hundred acres
of pine lands, with numerous springs. The institu-
tion was opened with a good staff of professors
January i, i860. A series of by-laws for its govern-
ment had been drawn up and th^ title of the " Louis-
iana Seminary of Learning and Military Academy "
was given to it. The title grevi* out of the original
grant by Congress of a certain township of public
land, to be sold by the State and dedicated to the use
of a "seminarvof learnino-."

Sixty cadets appeared on the day of the opening,
and everything started on pretty much the same lines
as at West Point, but without uniforms or muskets.
During the first term there were seventy- three cadets,
of whom nearly sixty passed the examination in July,
;86o. Defects were found in the act of incorporation,
and the legislature, at the suggestion of Sherman,
amended it. Handsome appropriations were made
for the support of the cadets, the erection of new
buildings and the purchase of scientific apparatus.
The seminary was made a State arsenal, and was placed
in a fair way toward efficiency and prosperity,

CHAPTER V.

Prophet and Patriot. — Advice to the War De-
partment Treated as a Proof of Insanity.

Sherman, however, could not be happy away from
the tap of the drum. As stated, he was made president
of the Louisiana State MiHtary Academy with a salary
of five thousand dollars, and he stayed there until
Louisiana's talk of secession roused his ire, and then
penned the following sharp and patriotic letter:

Jan. 1 8, 1861.

Governor Thomas O. Moore, Baton Rouge, La. :

Sir : As I occupy a ^2/^5/- military position under
this State, I deem it proper to acquaint you that I
accepted such position when Louisiana was a State in
the Union, and when the motto of the seminary was
inserted in marble over the main door: ''By the liber-
ality of the General Government of the United
States — the Union, Esto pei^petua!' Recent events
foreshadow a great change, and it becomes all men
to choose. If Louisiana withdraws from the Federal
Union, I prefer to maintain my allegiance to the old
Constitution as lono- as a fragment of it survives, and
my longer stay here would be wrong in every sense
of the word. In that event I beg you will send or
appoint some authorized agent to take charge of the

50

GENERAL GEORGE B. McCLELLAN.

52 GENERAL SHERMAN.

arms and munitions of war here belonging to the
State, or direct me what disposition should be made
of them. And furthermore, as president of the board
of supervisors I beg you to take immediate steps to
relieve me as superintendent the moment the State
determines to secede, for on no earthly account will I
do any act or think any thought hostile to or in defi-
ance of the old Government of the United States.
With great respect, etc.,

W. T. Sherman.

His resignation was accepted, and he removed to
St. Louis. Pending the dreadful days of doubt be-
tween the inauguration of President Lincoln and the
firing upon Sumter, Sherman was at Washington, a
close observer of affairs. He held a position as su-
perintendent of a street railway in St. Louis at a
salary of two thousand dollars, but his heart was in
mightier things than transportation, and he was ready
to obey the first call of duty.

He Meets with a Cool Reception.

It came in the spring and found Sherman waidng.
He met the fate which so often overtakes enthusiastic
souls. The Secretary of War received him coldly,
saying that he thought the ebullition of feeling w^ould
soon subside. Even President Lincoln did not then
believe that the nation would be plunged into civil

war.

'^ Humph !" said Sherman in his blunt way ; "you
niio-ht as well try to put out a fire with a squirt gun

PKOPHET AND PATRIOT.

53

as expect to put down this rebellion with three
months' troops."

He refused to go to Ohio for the purpose of rais-
ing three months' troops, declaring that the whole
military power of the country should be called out at

ABRAHAM LINCOLN.

once to crush the rebellion in its incipiency. Well
would it have been if his advice had been taken. It
was worthy of consideration, for his residence in
Louisiana had criven him an inklinor- of the tremend-
ous feeling in the South — a feeling which the authori-
ties at Washington did not fully appreciate.

54 GENEHAl SHERMAN.

Sherman's patriotic ardor was at last rewarded, and
he was appointed by General McDowell ix colonel of
the Thirteenth Infantry, regular army. At the battle
of Bull Run he was in command of the Third brigade
of the First division, and his command was the only
one in that memorable defeat which retired from the
field in good order. For his soldierly qualities In this
battle he was promoted to the rank of brigadier-
general of volunteers, and was ordered to join An-
derson, the hero of Sumter, who was in command of
the Department of the Ohio, with headquarters at
Louisville. General Anderson's ill-health forced him
to resign, and Sherman succeeded to the command.

Good Advice Disregarded.

The affairs of the department were in a bad way.
Sherman applied for reinforcements. In reply to a
question of Secretary Cameron as to the number of
troops required for a successful advance, Sherman
said that "to make a successful advance against the
enemy — then strongly posted at all strategic points
from the Mississippi to Cumberland Gap — would re-
quire an army two hundred thousand strong." For
this reply he was adjudged to be " crazy." Being
thus in discredit with the War Department, he asked
to be relieved. General Buell succeeded him, and he
retired to the command of Benton Barracks, near St.
Louis.

Grant, who still had his spurs to win, stood by
Sherman in this opinion, and the latter never forgot
it. One day, shordy after the occupation of Savan-

PROI^HET AND PATEIOT. 65

nah by Sherman, a prominent civilian approached Te-
cumseh and sought to win favor by disparaging Grant.
"It won't do, sir," said Sherman; "it won't do at
all. Grant is a great general. He stood by me when
I was crazy, and I stood by him when he was drunk
and now, by thunder, sir, we stand by each other."

Not so Crazy as Others.

Subsequent events proved that Sherman was again
right and the authorities at Washington wrong. If
the Confederates had made good use of their oppor-
tunities, General Buckner might have made good his
boast of investinor Louisville before winter.

What hurt Sherman more than to be called crazy
was to have the details of a private conversation with
Secretary Cameron and General Thomas, in which he
fully reported the condition of his troops, amply re-
peated in the newspapers, thus giving the enemy in-
valuable information regarding the weakness of his
position. The enemy took advantage of this know-
ledge, and Sherman was forced to employ strategy to
hold his position. He recognized that he was in dis-
favor with the War Department, and had the good
sense to retire from a conflict which must have proved
disastrous to him and to the men under his command.
Sherman was always a man of rare patience, and it
never stood him in better stead than in this instance.

Saved the Day at Shiloh.

His opportunity came in the following year, 1862,
when he was early called Into the field and assigned
to the command of the district of Cairo. In Febru-

66 GENERAL SHERMAN.

ary his headquarters were at Paducah, Ky., and he
rendered General Grant invaluable assistance in for-
warding troops and supplies to the latter, who was
operating on the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers.
After the capture of Fort Donelson he was assigned
to the command of the Fifth division of the Army of
the Tennessee, Major-General Grant commanding.

In the battle of Shiloh he first displayed the hidden
merit which, up to that time, had only met with the
ridicule of his superiors.

General Grant, always generous in giving praise to
those beneath him, paid this tribute to Sherman's
work :

" To General Sherman I was greatly Indebted for
his promptness in forwarding to me, during the siege
of Fort Donelson, reinforcements and supplies from
Paducah. At the battle of Shiloh, on the last day, he
held, with raw troops, the key-point of the landing.
It is no disparagement to any other officer to say that
I do not believe there was another division com-
mander on the field who had the skill and experience
to have done it. To his individual efforts I am in-
debted for the success of that battle."

Valor and Promotion.

General Halleck, in his despatch to the Secretary
of War recommending General Sherman for promo-
tion, said of him : " It is the unanimous opinion here
that Brigadier-General W. T. Sherman saved the for-
tunes of the day on the 6th of April and contributed
Jargely to the glorious victory of the 7th. He was in

58 GENERAL SHERMAN.

the thickest of the fight on both days, having three
horses killed under him and beinor wounded twice. I
respectfully request that he be made a major-general
of volunteers, to date from the 6th instant."

With such glorious and gallant tributes as these,
who will deny to William Tecumseh Sherman the
meed of his deserts ? The flaming torch of truth
speaks from the battle-field. It is only when men are
grown cold and selfish that the spirit of envy detracts
from a man's true worth.

On the recommendation of General Halleck, Gen-
eral Sherman was promoted to be a major-general of
volunteers, his rank dating from May i, 1862. He
next took part in the operations against Corinth, and
his troops were the first to enter the enemy's works
upon the morning of May 30.

Sherman's Plan of Campaig-n.

The summer of 1862 was passed in completely over-
running and subjecting that portion of Tennessee
lying west of the Tennessee River. Sherman moved
at the head of a column across the country toward
Memphis. The city capitulated to the gunboats on
June 6, and Sherman occupied it and assumed com-
mand July 22.

He found the city under a reign of terror, but his
strong arm soon brought order out of chaos. The
turbulent element was quelled and Union people in
the city once more breathed free.

An interesting glimpse into Sherman's scheme of
campaign was given by him in a speech delivered in

PHOPHET AND PATHTOT. 69

St. Louis In the summer of 1865. *' Here in St. Louis,
probably," he said, " began the great centre movement
which terminated the war; a battle-field such as never-
before was seen, extending from ocean to ocean al-
most with the right wing and the left wing ; and from
the centre here. I remember one evening up in the
old Planters' House sitting with General Halleck and
General Cullum, and we were talking about this, that,
and the other. A map was on the table, and I was
explaining the position of the troops of the enemy in
Kentucky, when I came to this State.

Halleck' s Question.

" General Halleck knew well the position here, and
I remember well the question he asked me — the ques-
tion of the school-teacher to his child : ' Sherman, here
is the line ; how will you break that line ? ' — * Physically,
by a perpendicular force.' — ' Where is the perpendic-
ular? ' — 'The line of the Tennessee River.' General
Halleck is the author of that first beginning, and I
give him credit for it with pleasure. Laying down
his pencil upon the map, he said, * There is the line,
and we must take it.' The capture of the forts on the
Tennessee River by the troops led by Grant followed.

"These were the grand strategic features of that first
movement, and it succeeded perfectly. General Hal-
leck's plan went farther — not to stop at his first line,
which ran through Columbus, Bowling Green, crossing
the river at Henry and Donelson, but to push on to
the second line, which ran through Memphis and
Charleston ; but troubles intervened at Nashville and

60 GENERAL SHERMAN.

delays followed ; opposition to the last movemeiit was
made, and I myself was brought an actor on the scene.
I remember our ascent on the Tennessee River; I
have seen to-night captains of steamboats who first
went with us there ; storms came and we did not
reach the point we desired. At that time General
C. F. Smith was in command, t^ was a man indeed.
All the old officers remember him as a orallant and
elegant officer, and had he lived probably some of us
younger fellows would not have attained our present
positions.

"We Fought aud Held our Ground."
''We followed the line — the second line— and then
came the landinor of forces at Pittsburo- Landing.
Whether it was a mistake in landing them on the
west instead of the east bank it is not necessary now
to discuss. I think it was not a mistake. There was
gathered the first great army of the West, commen-
cing with only twelve thousand, then twenty thousand,
then thirty thousand, and we had about thirty-eight
thousand in that battle, and all I claim for that is that
it was a contest for manhood. There was no strategy.
Grant was there and others of us, all young at that
time and unknown men, but our enemy was old, and
Sidney Johnson, whom all the officers remembered as
a power among the old officers, high above Grant,
myself, or anybody else, led the enemy on that battle-
field, and I almost wonder how we conquered. But,
as I remarked, it was a contest for manhood — man to
man — soldier to soldier. We foueht and we held our

62 GENERAL SHERMAN.

ground, and therefore accounted ourselves victorious.
From that time forward we had with us the prestige ;
that battle was worth millions and millions to us by
reason of the fact of the courage displayed by the
brave soldiers on that occasion, and from that time to
this I never heard of the first want of courage on the
part of our Northern soldiers."

Sherman counted the war virtually ended when
Vicksburg was taken and "the Mississippi ran un-
vexed to the sea ;" but the Confederates would not
have it so, and there had to be more fighting. Jeffei
son Davis had the Southerners well trained, and h»
refused to ratify the work of the Union armies, being
vexatiously obstinate.

Movements against Vicksburg.

In November, Sherman was assigned to the con
mand of the right wing of the Army of the Tennes
see, and conducted an expedition threatening the
enemy's rear south of the Tallahatchie River, and
enabled General Grant to occupy the position without
a fight. In December he, having returned to Mem-
phis, was assigned to the command of the Fifteenth
army corps, still continuing, however, in the general
command of the right wing of the army. In the
middle of the same month he organized an expedi-
tion composed of the Thirteenth and Fifteenth corps,
and moved down the Mississippi on transports, with
a view to an attack upon Vicksburg from the Yazoo
River, near Chickasaw Bayou and Haines' Bluff. The
surrender of Holly Springs, Miss., enabling the enemy

PKOPHET AND PATRIOT. 63

to concentrate at the point of attack, frustrated the
efforts of the Union troops.

The terrible fighting of December 27th, 28th, and
29th settled the fact that the place could not be taken
by storm, and the troops were withdrawn to consum-
mate the glorious victory of Arkansas Post in Janu-

1

GRANT'S HEADQUARTERS NEAR VICKSBURG,

ary, 1863. In this last action General Sherman was
subordinate to General McClellan, having been as-
signed by that officer to the command of the right
wing of the temporary Army of the Mississippi.
Upon the concentration of troops preparatory to
further movements against Vicksburg, General Sher-
man was stationed with his corps in the vicinity of

64 GENE-RAL SHERMAK

Young's Point. In March, 1863, he conducted the
expedition up Steele's Bayou and released Admiral
Porter's fleet of gunboats, which, having been cut off
and invested by the enemy, was in imminent danger
of being captured. This expedition was perhaps one
of the most severe ever experienced by his troops.
They penetrated through a country cut up by numer-
ous and deep bayous and swamps and overgrown by
immense forests of cottonwood and cypress. Sher-
man, with his usual determination, was not to be
thwarted, and pushed ahead and accomplished hig
object.

CHAPTER VIo

Army of the Tennessee. — Sherman Co-operates
with Grant. — Forward Movements.

Upon the inauguration of General Grant's move-
ment across the Peninsula to Grand Gulf and Bruins-
burg, during April, 1863, General Sherman made a
feint upon Haines' Bluff, on the Yazoo River. His
demonstration (April 26th and 29th) was intended to
hold the enemy about Vicksburg while the main army
was securing a foothold on the eastern shore of the
Mississippi below. Having successfully performed
this duty, by means of rapid and forced marches he
moved down the Louisiana side of the river, crossed
at Grand Gulf, and immediately pushed forward and
rejoined General Grant's main army.

Sherman, with his corps, accompanied McPherson
on his movement against Jackson, the capital of Mis-
sissippi. In the battle of Jackson, Sherman took no
part, in consequence of the rout of the enemy being
effected by McPherson's corps alone. The day after
the battle McPherson hurried toward Baker's Creek,
while Sherman remained in Jackson some hours longer
to complete the destruction of the enemy's stores and
the railroad. He then moved on a line parallel with
the route of march of McPherson's column, crossed
5 65

56

GENERAL SHERMAN.

the Big Black River and took possession of Walnut
Hills, near Vicksburg, on May i8th.

The occupation of this important position enabled
General Grant to open communication with his depot
of supplies on the Mississippi River, byway of Yazoo

GENERAL ULYSSES S. GRANT.

River, from Chickasaw Bayou. During the siege of
Vicksburg, Sherman's corps held the left of General
Grant's lines and co-operated in all the combined at-
tacks of the centre and right. During the conference
between the rebel commander Pemberton and Gen-
eral Grant in regard to the terms of capitulation for

ARMY 01 THE TENNESSEE. 6?

the garrison and city of Vicksburg. Sherman was
vigorously engaged in organizing an expedition at
the Big Black River. The plan was to carry the "var
into the enemy's country ; hence the preparations ^i
this expedition.

GENERAL JOE JOHNSTON.

No sooner had Vicksburg surrendered than he re-
ceived orders to throw his force across the river and
move out into the country. Vicksburg was occupied

o» GENERAL SHERMAN.

on the morning of the 4th of July. The same after-
noon troops were converging from all parts of the old
lines, and Sherman's advance had already crossed the
Big Black.

Two days' march found Sherman investing Joe
Johnston in Jackson. Before the beginning of
August he engaged the enemy, and, defeating him
severely, was about to close in upon his rear when
the rebel commander very prudently withdrew.

For his great service in the military operations of
1863, Major-General Sherman was promoted to the
rank of brigadier-general in the regular army, to date
from July 4, 1863, and was confirmed bv the United
States Senate February 29, 1864.

Sliernian Succeeds Grant.

Upon the assignment of General Grant to the
command of the military division of the Mississippi,
General Sherman succeeded, by authority of the
President, to the command of the Department and
Army of the Tennessee, to date from October 27,
1863. After making some necessary changes in the
disposition of the troops on the Mississippi River,
Sherman concentrated portions of the Fifteenth and
Sixteenth corps at Corinth, and in the month of No-
vember moved, by way of Tuscumbia and Decatur,
Ala., to join and participate with General Grant in
his winter campaign against Chattanooga. General
Sherman's forces moved up the north side of the
Tennessee River, and during the nights of Novem-
ber 23d and 24th established pontoon-bridges and

ARMY OF THE TENNESSEE. 69

effected a lodgment on the south side, between Citico
Creek and the Chlckamauga River,

After the development of the plans along other
portions of the lines, on the 24th Sherman carried
the eastern end of Missionary Ridge up to the tun-
nel. On the next day the whole of Missionary
Ridge, from Rossville to the Chickamauga, was car-
ried after a series of desperate struggles. By the
turning of the enemy's right and forcing it back
upon Ringgold and Dalton, Sherman's forces were
thrown between Bragg and Longstreet, completely
severing the enemy's lines. No sooner was this end
reached than Thomas and Hooker forced Brao^or into
Georgia, while Sherman, with his own and Granger's
forces, moved off to the succor of Knoxville. Burn-
side, by a gallant defence of the position, held out
against Longstreet, who upon the appearance of
Sherman was obliged to raise the siege and effected
his escape by withdrawing into Virginia. The enemy
being defeated at every point, his army broken and
his plans completely disarranged, and Grant's army
in winter quarters, General Sherman personally left
for Cairo, thence for Memphis, arriving in the begin-
ning of January. After organizing a portion of the
Sixteenth corps for the field, he despatched it upon
transports to Vicksburg.

Pushes on to Vicksburg.

In the latter part of the month he joined it, and fin-
ished the organization of a fine body of troops, com-
posed of portions of the Sixteenth army corps,

70 GENERAL SHERMAN.

Major-General S. A. Hurlbut commanding, and the
Seventeenth army corps, Major-General James B.
McPherson commanding.

On the third of February the expeditionary army,
commanded in person by Sherman, crossed the Big
Black, and after continuous skirmishing along the
route entered Meridian, Miss., February 14, 1864,
driving Polk, with a portion of his army, toward
Mobile, another portion toward Selma, and com-
pletely cutting off Lovell from the main army, pur-
suing him with cavalry northward toward Marion.
Remaining in possession of Meridian four days, the
railroads converging there were destroyed within
a radius of twenty miles. The army then returned by
a different route, reaching Canton, Miss., February 26.

Turning over the command of his army to McPher-
son, with instructions to devastate the country and
then to continue the return march to Vicksburg,
General Sherman, at eight o'clock the next morning,
escorted by the Second Iowa Cavalry, pushed through
in advance of the army, riding over sixty miles in
twenty-four hours, and reached Vicksburg on the
morning of February 28th. Remaining in the city but
a few hours, he embarked on one of the boats of the
Mississippi Marine brigade and left for New Orleans.

At the expiration of eight days he returned to
Vicksburg, having during his absence consulted with
General Banks upon the Red River expedition, toward
which he was to contribute a co-operating column.
This force was immediately organized and equipped,

ARMY OP THE TENNESSEE. 71

and embarked in March for the mouth of Red River,
and was commanded by Generals A. J. Smith and
Thomas Kilby Smith, both veteran officers of large
experience and ability. Sherman now left for
Memphis.

On to Atlanta.

The promotion of General Grant to the rank of
lieutenant-general and commander-in-chief of the
armies of the United States opened a still higher pro-
motion to General Sherman. By authority of the
President, expressed in general orders dated March
1 2th, he was assigned to the command of the military
division of the Mississippi. On the 14th of March
he received notification of his appointment while at
Memphis. He immediately left for Nashville, and
held a conference with General Grant upon the sub-
ject of the spring operations. Between the two
officers there was a full and complete understanding
of the policy and plans for the ensuing campaign,
which was designed to embrace a vast area of country.
On the 25th, General Sherman commenced a tour of
inspection of the various armies of his command, visit-
ing Athens, Decatur, Huntsville, and Larkin's Ferry,
Ala. ; Chattanooga, Loudon, and Knoxville, Tenn.

In the course of his visit he held interviews with
Major-General McPherson at Huntsville, Major-Gen-
eral Thomas at Chattanooga and Major-General
Schofield at Knoxville. With these officers he ar-
ranged in general terms the lines of communication
CO be guarded, the strength of the several columns

72 GENERAL SHERMAN.

and garrisons, and appointed the ist of May as the
time for everything to be In readiness. While these
commanders were carrying out their Instructions
General Sherman returned to Nashville, giving his
personal attention to the subject of supplies, organiz-
ing a magnificent system of railroad communication
by two routes from Nashville, and preparing the way
for future operations.

Three Great Armies.

The storehouses and depots of Chattanooga soon
groaned beneath the weight of abundance. The
whole of East Tennessee and Northern Alabama
contributed to the general store, while the whole
North-west and West poured volumes of sustenance
through the avenues of communication from Louis-
ville. On the 27th of April the three great armies of
his division were converging at Chattanooga. The
1st of May witnessed over sixty thousand troops and
one hundred and thirty guns forming the Army of
the Cumberland, Major-General George H. Thomas
commanding, encamped in the vicinity of Ringgold, Ga,

McPherson, with a portion of Grant's old veteran
and victorious battalions of the Army of the Tennes-
see, numbering twenty-five thousand troops of all
larms and ninety-six guns, lay at Gordon's Mill, on the
historic Chickamauga. General Schofield, with over
thirteen thousand troops and twenty-eight guns, con-
stituting the Army of the Ohio, lay on the Georgia
line, north of Dalton. In the aggregate these three
armies formed a grand army of over ninety-eight

ARMY OF THE TENNESSEE. 73

thousand men and two hundred and fifty-four guns,
under the supreme command of General Sherman.
Preparing: for Attack.

The enemy, superior in cavalry and with three
corps of infantry and artillery, commanded by Hardee,
Hood, and Polk, and all under the command of General
Joseph E. Johnston, lay in and about Dalton. His
position was covered by an inaccessible ridge known
as the Rocky Face, through which ran Buzzard Roost
Gap. The railroad and wagon-road following this
pass the enemy had strongly defended by abattis and
well-constructed fortifications. Batteries commanded
it in its whole length, and especially from a ridge at its
farther end, like a traverse directly across its debouch.
To drive the enemy from this position by the front
was impossible. After well reconnoitring the vicinity,
but one practicable route by which to attack Johnsott
was found, and that was by Snake Creek Gap, by
which Resaca, a point on the enemy's railroad com-
munication, eighteen miles below Dalton, could be
reached.

Accordingly, McPherson was instructed to move
rapidly from his position at Gordon's Mill, by way of
Ship's Gap, Villanow, and Snake Creek Gap, directly
upon Resaca. During this movement Thomas was to
make a strong feint attack in front, and Schofield was
to press down from the north. Thomas occupied
Tunnel Hill May 7, facing Buzzard Roost Gap, ex-
periencing little opposition except fiom cavalry. Mc-
PhersGn reached Snake Creek Gap May 8, surprising

74

GENERAL SHERMAN.

a brlg-ade of the enemy while en route to occupy it.
May 9, Schofield moved down from the north close
on Daltoiio The same day Newton's division of the

PICKETS ON DUTY.

Fourth corps carried the ridge, Geary of the Twen-
tieth corps crowding on for the summit.

While this was going on at the front the head oi
McPherson's column made its appearance near Resaca
and took position confronting the enemy's works.
May lo the Twentieth corps (Hooker) moved to join

ARMY OF THE TENNESSEE, 76

McPherson ; the Fourteenth corps (Palmer) followed ;
the Fourth corps (Howard) commenced pounding
Dalton from the front. Meanwhile, Schofield also
hastened to join McPherson. May ii the whole
army, with the exception of Howard's corps and some
cavalry, was in motion for Snake Creek Gap. May 1 2,
McPherson debouched from the gap on the main road,
Kilpatrick with his cavalry in front.

Thomas moved on McPherson's left, Schofield on
Thomas' left. Kilpatrick drove the enemy within
two miles of Resaca. Kilpatrick having been wound-
ed, Colonel Murray took command, and, wheeling out
of the road, McPherson's columns crowded impetu-
ously by, and, driving the enemy's advance within the
defences of Resaca, occupied a ridge of bold hills, his
right resting on the Oostenaula, two miles below the
railroad bridge, and his left abreast of the town.
Thomas, on his left, facing Camp Creek, and Scho^
field, forcing his way through a dense forest, came in
on the extreme left.

The enemy had evacuated Dalton and was now
concentrated at Resaca. Howard occupied Dalton
and hung upon the enemy's rear. May 14 the battle
of Resaca commenced: May 15 it continued. The
same night the enemy was flying toward the Eto-
wah. The whole army followed in pursuit. May 19
Sherman held all of the country north of the Etowah
and several crossings of that stream. May 23 the
whole army was moving upon the flank of the ene-
my's position in the Allatoona Mountains. May ;*5,

76 GENERAL SHERMAN.

Hooker whipped the enemy near New Hope Church.
On May 28, McPherson killed and wounded about
five thousand of the enemy near Dallas. June 6 the
enemy was in hasty retreat to his next position at
Kenesaw Mountains. June 8, Blair arrived at Ack-
wordi with the fresh troops of the Seventeenth corps.
June II the sounds of Sherman's artillery reverbera-
ted among the rugged contortions of Kenesaw. July
3 the enemy was pressing for the Chattahoochee. The
mountains and Marietta were occupied by our forces
the same day.

The Gallant McPlierson's Death.

The enemy had a tete-du-pont and formidable works
on the Chattahoochee at the railroad crossinor. Sher-
man advanced boldly with a small force on the front.
July 7, Schofield had possession of one of the enemy's
pontoons and occupied the south side of the Chatta-
hoochee. By July 9, Sherman held three crossings.
Johnston abandoned his tete-du-pont, and there was no
enemy north or west of the Chattahoochee July 10.
July 17 the whole army was in motion across the
Chattahoochee. July 18, Atlanta was cut off from the
east. Rousseau, with an expeditionary cavalry force,
was operating within the enemy's lines. July 20 all
the armies closed in upon Atlanta. The same after-
noon the enemy attacked Hooker and was driven
into his intrenchments. On July 22, Johnston was
relieved, and Hood, in command of the enemy, sud-
denly attacked McPherson's extreme left with over-
powering numbers. Giles A. Smith held the position

i

ARMY OF THE TENNESSEE. 77

first attacked with a division of McPherson s troops.
First he fought from one side of the parapet, when,
being attacked in the rear, he fought from the other.
McPherson's whole army soon became engaged. The
battle was the most desperate of the campaign. Mc-
Pherson was killed when the contest was the thickest.
His last order saved the army. Logan succeeded to
command. " McPherson and revenge ! " rang along
the lines. The effect was electric, and victory closed
in with the night. The battle footed up nine thousand
of the enemy against four thousand of our own troops
killed and wounded — a balance in our favor of five
thousand dead and mangled bodies.

CHAPTER VIL

From Atlanta to the Sea.— Thrilling Story of
One of the Greatest Feats in Military His-
tory.

After Vicksburg, Sherman was soon to be heard
from among the mountains of Tennessee. Rose-
crans, having encountered Bragg in the tremendous
battle of Chickamauga, had fallen back into Chatta-
nooga and was virtually under siege. Grant, sum-
moned thither from Vicksburg to take command,
hurried Sherman, who had succeeded to the com-
mand of the Army of the Tennessee, to the rescue.

Arriving at Chattanooga from the long march,
Sherman took post on Grant's left at Tunnel Hill,
and when all was ready engaged the enemy hotly ;
while Thomas, with the Army of the Cumberland,
'' forming on the plain below with the precision of
parade," swept magnificently across Mission Ridge
and drove Bragg back into Georgia. Meanwhile,
Burnside had been besieged by Longtreet at
Knoxville, and was in great stress. Without a
pause for rest, Sherman was sent to his relief, but
Bragg's disaster had broken up the siege, and Sher-
man marched back to Chattanooga. Congress voted
thanks to him and his men '' for their gallant and
arduous services in marching to the relief of the
7S

FROM ATLANTA TO THE SEA.

7^

Army of the Cumberland, and for their gallantry and
heroism in the battle of Chattanooga, which con-
tributed in a great degree to the success of oui urms
in that glorious victory."

fiENERAL GEORGE H. THOMAS-

Early in 1864, General Sherman was invested with
the command of the entire South-west, and on the
19th of April he received his final instructions from
General Grant for the movement against Atlanta.

80 GENERAL SHERMAN.

Starting from Ringgold, in front of Chattanooga,
with nearly one hundred thousand men, including
Thomas's Army of the Cumberland, over sixty
thousand strong, McPherson's army of the Ten-
nessee, and Schofield's Army of the Ohio, Sherman
drove back his opponent, the wary and skilful Gen-
eral J. E. Johnston, in a series of remarkable move-
ments, now fighting and now flanking him. Sherman
came up with Johnston at Dalton, turned his position
at Buzzard's Roost, assaulted him at Resaca, flanked
him again and threw him back to Cassville and the
Etowah, and fought him again at New Hope Church
and on the heights of the Kenesaw, finally compel-
ling him to fall back on Atlanta, with all of
Northern Georgia at the mercy of the victorious
invader.

Thanks from President Lincoln.

In the meantime Hood superseded Johnston, but
he lost in quick succession the battles of Peach Tree
Creek, Ezra Church, opposite Atlanta, and Jonesboro,
twenty miles away, after which the victorious army
entered the city, where Sherman received from Presi-
dent Lincoln the thanks of the nation " for the dis-
tinguished ability and perseverance displayed in
the campaign in Georgia, which, under Divine favor,
has resulted in the capture of Atlanta. The marches,
battles, sieges, and other military operations that have
signalized the campaign must render it famous in the
annals of war."

The occasion of this distinguished praise is found

IFROM ATLA.NTA TO THE SEAo 81

in Sherman's famous march and conquests, which we
now proceed to descnbe„

There was Htde of the vivid interest then attached
to the fiercely-contendlnor armies in Virginia in Sher»
man's famous march to ihe sea. However, it was far
more brilHant, showed greater mastery of the art of
war, and was fraught with more important results than
were dreamed of at the time.

Illustrious Commanders.

Sherman had met Grant at Nashville in the middle
of March, and had accompanied him to Cincinnati
during which time the plans of the campaign were
matured. He was in command of the principal
Western armies— the Army of the Tennessee, under
McPherson ; the Army of the Cumberland, under
Thomas ; and the Army of the Ohio, under Schofield.
All were officers of the regular army and graduates
of West Point. All had long served with the Western
armies, and had received their promotion after dis-
tinguished services. Thomas, older than his brother-
generals, a Virginian by birth, had never faltered in
his allegiance to the Union, and had quickly arrived
at high command in the West. At the disastrous
battle of Chickamauga he alone had achieved renown
when others had suffered defeat and disgrace. Mc-
Pherson had won each successive step of his promo-
tion by brilliant services from Fort Donelson to Vicks-
burg. Schofield, the youngest of the three and class-
mate of McPherson and of his later Confederate
opponent, Hood, had shown administrative capacity

82 GENERAL SHERMAN.

and military ability of a high order when in command
of the Department of the Missouri.

Such were the generals under Sherman's immediate
command, In whom he had complete confidence and
which tbey In turn fully reciprocated.

The Confederate forces were also led by men edu-
cated at West Point, and who had seen service in
the regular army. General Joseph E. Johnston was
in chief command, while Hardee, Hood, and Polk
commanded the divisions under him. The entire Con-
federate force throughout Tennessee, Northern Ala-
bama, and Mississippi numbered about one hundred
and eighty thousand, while the available force under
Johnston at the outset of the great march numbered
less than fifty thousand, with headquarters at Chatta-
nooga. Sherman's force started with a total of ninety-
eight thousand eighi hundred, which a month later
was increased by Blair's corps to one hundred and
twelve thousand eight hundred men.

The Start for the Sea.

Notwithstanding Johnston's Inferiority of force, the
authorities at Richmond expected him to assume the
offensive, and promised reinforcements as he should
advance. Johnston wanted all his reinforcements first,
and thus, at the very beginning of the campaign, there
was neither harmony nor good feeling between him
and President Davis.

Meantime, the 5th of May came, and in accordance
with Grant's general orders Sherman set his army In
motion for Dalton, And now followed a campaign

PROM ATLANTA TO THE SEA. oo

which has had no parallel in modern wai*. It re-
sembles more the old '' War of Positions " of the
days of Gustavus Adolphus and Turenne, when both
armies, protecting themselves on their fighting ground,
sought for advantage in either outflanking the enemy
or cutting off his supplies. From Dalton to Atlanta
it was a campaign of siege and counter-siege the
whole way. Sherman pressed forward on the prin-
ciple of an advance against fortified positions. The
whole country passed through was an interminable
line of forts, connected by fifty miles of trenches, with
abattis and finished batteries. Even the skirmishers
learned to cover themselves by the simplest and best
forms, such as rails or logs piled up to make a simple
lunette, covered on the outside by earth thrown up.

In all this work of throwing up intrenchments or
making rifle-pits the men of both armies became ex-
tremely skilful, because each man could realize its
importance to himself. As soon as a brigade fancied
a position it would set to work with a will, and would
construct an impregnable position in a night. To
lighten the labors of his men in this respect Sherman
organized a pioneer corps of freedmen, two hun-
dred of whom were assigned to every division, re-
ceiving regular pay and rations.

I Sherman's greatest problem was to supply his army,
and it was a source of continual anxiety to him. The
country was entirely impoverished, and he was de-
pendent on the preservation of the railway, which he
w^s obliged to rebuild as he advanced. The displace-

B4 GENERAL SHERMAN.

ment of a rail would hinder communication for a con-
siderable time, while the frequent attacks made on the
trains by the guerillas necessitated strong guards
along the line. Nevertheless, the supplies came and
Sherman moved steadily forward.
Hard Figlitiug".

On the 8th of May the hostile armies first came in
contact at Dalton, where heavy skirmishing, followed
by an unsuccessful assault under General Thomas
against Rock Hill Ridge, convinced General Sherman
at the start that direct attacks on intrenched positions
could not yield good results. He then moved Mc-
Pherson around by the right against Johnston's rear,
and the latter was obliged to fall back upon Resaca,
to fortifications already prepared there. On the 14th
of May the Federal forces found nothing in their front
at Dalton and moved on to Resaca. Here some hard
fighting took place, in which Palmer's corps of
Thomas's army and Judah's division of Schofield^s
played a conspicuous part, but no serious impression
could be made on the Confederate lines. Again Mc-
Pherson moved around by the right, and again John-
ston was obliged to retire, nor could he find a suitable
place to make a stand until he reached the Etowah
River, forty miles south of Resaca and ninety-six miles
from Chattanooga. He was immediately followed by
Sherman, who sent forward two cavalry divisions in
pursuit, supported by a division of infantry, the main
army advancing in parallel lines in three columns.

Sherman's march was necessarily slow, because he

PROM ATLANTA TO THE SEA. S5

■was obliged to rebuild the railroads as he advanced.
Johnston had crossed the Etowah River, and now
held A strong position at Allatoona Pass, in the
Etowah Mountains. Here and at New Hope, called
by the soldiers " Hell Hole," there was very hard
fighting, but again Sherman's flanking movement by
the right proved successful, and Johnston on the 4th
of June fell back to Marietta, and Allatoona was left
in our possession. Before advancing farther Sherman
finished the railroad up to Allatoona, and strongly
fortified that place and made it a secondary base of
supplies. His army, too, needed some rest after
nearly a month of incessant fighting and fortifying.

In the Georgia Mountains.

On the 9th of June, Sherman again moved forward
in the direction of Marietta. Johnston held an unas-
sailable position in the mountain-ranges which under
the names of Kenesaw, Pine Hill, and Lost Mountain
divide the tributaries of the Etowah from those of the
Chattahoochee. The conical summits of the chestnut-
covered mountains were crowned wdth signal-stations,
while along their sides and among the ravines breast-
works and abattis completely barred the further
•progress of the Federal troops.

Here, at last, it seemed that Sherman's farther
advance must be stayed. In person he reconnoitred
the position, exposing himself fearlessly as he directed
the firing of batteries for the purpose of drawing the
fire of the enemy to ascertain the strength of the
various positions.

bb GENERAL SHERMAN.

A series of engagements now ensued for the
possession of these mountains, on one of which
General Polk, while overlooking the action, was
killed. Thus Louisiana lost its bishop and the Con-
federates an able soldier. On the 27th of June,
Sherman ordered a direct assault against the fortified
position on the Kenesaw, but his troops were repulsed
with ereat slaughter. Three thousand fell on that
hardly-contested slope, while the defenders lost little
more than five hundred. In his memoirs Sherman
has justified this assault. "Failure as it was," he
says, "and for which I assume the entire responsi-
bility, I yet claim it produced good fruits, as it was
demonstrated to General Johnston that I would
assault, and that boldly."

Johnston Driven Back.

Satisfied that his former strategy was best adapted
to the capabilities of his army, Sherman proceeded to
turn the position he had failed to force, and, again
extending his right, he threatened Johnston's com-
munications with Atlanta.

These operations were completed by the 3d of July,
and Johnston was compelled to retire to the Chatta-
hoochee River. Thomas and Schofield followed his
retreat, passing through Atlanta and advancing rapidly
with the hope of falling on the retiring army while
crossinor the river. But the strenorth of the Confed-
erate defences in front of the river forbade attack,
and again Sherman resorted to his accustomed tactics
of operating on the flanks. A succession of compli-

I

?ROM ATLANTA TO THE SEA. 87

cated and well-timed movements of the three Federal
armies, successfully executed, secured command of
the Chattahoochee, and Johnston again retired and
entered the defences of Atlanta. He had retreated
over one hundred miles, but he had inflicted heavy
losses on his enemy, and had compelled him to con-
sume two months in making his advance.

But his Fabian generalship by no means found
favor with the Richmond Government. All through
the campaign he had been constandy urged to take
the offensive, to throw himself on Sherman's pro-
longed line, and to force him to retreat. He believed
his own policy to be best, and steadfastly adhered to it.

General Hood in Command.

It is said that he intended to try the issue of an
offensive battle before the fortifications of Atlanta,
and when Sherman should have the Chattahoochee in
his rear ; but on the same day that the armies of the
Ohio, the Cumberland, and the Tennessee poured
over the bridges and across the fords of that river
Johnston was superseded, and the command of the
Western army conferred upon General Hood. He
was to take the offensive, and brilliant results at his
hand were confidently expected.

Johnston undoubtedly deserves high praise for the
conduct of the campaign, and General Grant has ap-
proved of his policy and commended his ability. In-
deed, It needs but little argument to show that he was
right In refusing to rush wildly forward into Tennes-
see to court such disaster as Hood afterward met

88 GENERAL SHEKMAN,

with. What he might have accomplished had he been
opposed to a less wary and less able commander than
Sherman, a commander who would have hurled his
troops at impregnable breastworks as Grant did in
Virginia, is mere matter of conjecture. As things
actually were disposed, and under the circumstances
in which he was placed, Johnston merits a place at
least in the second rank of great generals.

Before Atlanta at Last.

Atlanta was very strongly intrenched in a con^plete
circle about a mile and a half outside the city. Be-
yond, there were advanced intrefichments which must
be taken before a close siege could be commenced.
But Hood did not intend to abide a siege. As the
three Federal armies converged on Atlanta he moved
out on the 20th of July and attacked the Army of the
Cumberland most furiously. Hooker's corps and
Newton's and Johnston's divisions were the principal
ones engaged in this contest. After a fierce struggle
the Confederates were repulsed and retired to their
intrenchments, leaving their dead and wounded on
the field. It was in this battle that General Gresham,
now judge of the United States Circuit Court, was
very severely wounded.

But Hood did not intend to abandon offensive op-
erations. On the night of the 21st he moved out
again to make an attack on the left of the Federal
line. About noon of the 2 2d the battle commenced
with an assault by Hardee upon Blair's corps, which
he pressed heavily. Our left was turned, and it was

'from ATLANTA TO THE SEAc ^^

with great difficulty that an immense wagon-train was
saved. Sherman and his able lieutenants proved
fully equal to the emergency in the end, and, though
the fighting was at first very much in favor of the
Confederates, before night fell they were driven back
into the city. It was during this battle that the brave
McPherson was killed. This was the battle of At-
lanta, and on the score of having captured thirteen
guns and some prisoners Hood claimed a great
victory.

Disastrous Victory.

But, nevertheless, Sherman held his ground, and
prepared by new combinations to press forward his
operations against the city. Hood had suffered the
severest losses, and such victories would prove as
disastrous as defeats. For the next six weeks he
kept mainly on the defensive. To carry the city by
an assault was beyond the power of the invading
army, and to approach it by regular siege and invest-
ment equally impossible.

Sherman's only resource was either to destroy or
occupy the great railway arteries which brought sup
plies to the army and to the people. The work was
tedious and the lines to be maintained were very
long, but slowly and surely through the months of
July and August the work went on. Several exten-
sive cavalry raids were organized. One of these,
under General Stonem--.^ numbering about one
thousand men, was captured, and the others did
not accomplish nearly so much as was expected. It

90 GENERAL SfiERMAN.

remained then for the infantry to carry out more
slowly the plan of separating Hood's army from its
base of supplies.

Daring- Cavalrj^ Movements.

Nor was the Confederate cavalry idle. General
Wheeler moved upon the railroad north of Resaca
and destroyed it nearly up to Dalton, cutting Sher-
man off from communication with the North for sev-
eral days. But neither raids nor assaults availed to
retard Sherman's movements to seize all the com-
munications leading to Atlanta. Many sharp engage-
ments took place, but Sherman never loosened a grip
once firmly taken.

Finally, on August 25, he commenced his last and
final flank movement, by which he swung his whole
army, except one corps, on Hood's communications
south of Atlanta, compelling him to leave his in-
trenchments and to fiofht a decisive battle or to
retreat. To do this Sherman had to cut loose from
his own communications, and to depend for subsist-
ence upon such stores as he could carry or gather
from the country. It was bold strategy, but its suc-
cess proved that the details had been carefully studied
out, and that it was a fittino- conclusion to the cam-
paign of Atlanta. All the movements of the various
corps were made Avith precision and accomplished as
ordered.

On August 30 and 31 sharp engagements occurred
with the Confederates under Hardee at Jonesboro,
twenty miles south of Atlanta. On September 1,

PROM ATLANTA TO THE SEA. 91

Sherman had complete possession of the Macon
railroad. During diat night our army heard great
explosions in the direction of Adanta and Jonesboro.
Hood had found himself compelled to yield the city
at last. He blew up his military works, and fell back
southward, toward Macon. On the following morning
General Slocum, who had remained with his corps
north of the city, marched in and took possession.

The campaign had lasted four months, and is one
of the most memorable of the war. The aggregate
loss from the force in killed, wounded, and missing
amounted to 31,687 men. During the same period
the loss inflicted on the Confederate army amounted
to 34,779 men.

This campaign abundantly proved Sherman's com-
manding genius for war. He could execute as well
as conceive. He understood the discipline of armies
in its fullest extent. He knew how to select and em-
ploy his officers.

Why He did Not g-o to Aug-usta.

The question, "Why didn't General Sherman go to
Augusta instead of to Savannah when he made the
great march through Georgia ? " has been often asked
and commented upon. General Sherman himself an-
swered it two years ago. " The march to the sea from
Atlanta," said he, " was resolved on after Hood had
got well on his way to Nashville. I then detached to
General Thomas a force sufficient to whip Hood,
which he, In December, 1864, very handsomely and
conclusively did. Still, I had left a very respectable

92 GENERAL SHERMAN.

army and resolved to join Grant at Richmond. The
distance was one thousand miles, and prudence die- i
tated a base at Savannah or Port Royal. Our enemy
had garrisons at Macon and Augusta. I figured on
both, and passed between to Savannah. Then, start-
ing northward, the same problem presented itself in
Augusta and Charleston. I figured on both, but
passed between.

" I did not want to drive out their p^arrisons ahead
of me at the crossings of the Santee, Catawba, Pedee,
Cape Fear, etc. The moment I passed Columbia the
factories, powder-mills, and the old stuff accumulated
at Augusta were lost to the only two Confederate
armies left — Lee's and Hood's. So, if you have a
military mind, you will see I made a better use of
Augusta than if I had captured it with its stores, for
which I had no use. I used Augusta twice as a buffer;
its garrison was just where it helped me.

"Sherman's Bummers."

" If the people of Augusta think I sligiited them in
the winter of 1864-65 by reason of personal friend-
ship formed in 1844, they are mistaken, or if they
think I made a mistake in strategy, let them say so,
and with the President's consent I think I can send a
detachment of one hundred thousand or so of 'Sher-
man's bummers' and their descendants, who will finish
up the job without charging Uncle Sam a cent. The
truth is, these incidents come back to me in a humor-
ous vein. Of course the Civil War should have ended
with Vicksburg and Gettysburg. Every sensible man

FROM ATLANTA TO THE SEA. 93

on earth must have then seen there could be but one
result. The leaders of the South took good care not
to 'die in the last ditch,' and left brave men like
Walker, Adams, Pat Cleburne, etc., to do that."

After resting at Savannah and refitting his army,
he moved northward February i. Columbia was oc-
cupied on the 1 7th ; Cheraw, March 3d ; Fayetteville,
March 1 1 th ; the battle of Averysboro was fought
March i6th; that of Bentonville, March 19th, 20th;
Goldsboro was occupied March 22d; Raleigh, April
13th; and April i8th, at Durham Station.

By marching through the heart of South Carolina
instead of skirting the sea, Sherman pierced the State
in its most vital part. It was the boast of Davis and
Breckenridge that the sea was not necessary to the
South. Their strength lay inland. Sherman marched
inland, shutting up one Confederate general in Au-
gusta, another in Branchville, a third in Charleston,
and a fourth in Columbia. These generals never
knew where the blow would fall, and it never fell
where they thought it likely to. As Sherman moved
up northward, leaving Charleston on the right, Beau-
regard was confident that he would have to assault
Branchville, a great railway-centre and a post from
which he could equally menace Charleston and Au-
gusta. Branchville was accordingly strengthened
with guns and occupied in force. But Sherman cut
the railway-lines and compelled the enemy to abandon
their works and guns. Branchville passed and
Columbia gained, Charleston fell.

94 GENERAL SHERMAN.

Sherman accepted the surrender of Johnston's
army on a " basis of agreement " which was rejected
by the Government, but on the 26th received the
surrender on the terms accorded to Lee by Grant.
Resuming his march, Washington was reached May
24, 1865, where, after the grand review, his army
was dissolved. On the 27th of June, 1865, he was
appointed to command the mihtary division of the
Mississippi ; was promoted to be heutenant-general
July 25, 1866, and August 11 assigned to command
the military division of the Missouri. On the acces-
sion of General Grant to the Presidency he became
general (March 4, 1869). ^^ 1871-72 he made an
extended tour in Europe and the East. In October,.
1874, the headquarters of the army were removed
from Washington to St. Louis, but in April, 1876,
were re-established at Washington. He published
in 1875 Memoirs of General W. T. Sherman, by Him-
self,

CHAPTER VIII.

Important Letter of General Sherman. — The
Country Deluded in the Early Part of the
War. — Strange Charge of Lunacy.

A LETTER written by General Sherman while he was
at Memphis to his brother, Senator John Sherman,
shows how accurately he understood the gravity of
the situation, and how crazy they were who pro-
nounced him wild and visionary. The story was
actually circulated that he was out of his mind, and
so fully was it believed that for a brief period his
command was taken away from him. The country
soon discovered that no man was more sane on war
questions than he was. The letter is as follows :

Memphis, Tenn,, Aug, 13, 1862.

My Dear Brother : I have not written to you for
so long that I suppose you think I have dropped the
correspondence. For six weeks I was marching along
the road from Corinth to Memphis, mending roads,
building bridges, and all sorts of work. At last I got
here, and found the city contributing gold, arms, pow-
der, salt, and everything the enemy wanted. It was
a smart trick on their part thus to give up Memphis,
that the desire of gain to our Northern merchants
should supply them with the things needed in war. I

96 GENERAL SHERMAN.

Stopped this at once, and declared gold, silver. Treas-
ury notes, and salt as much contraband of war as
powder. I have one man under sentence of death
for smuggling arms across the lines, and hope Mr.
Lincoln will approve it.

But the mercenary spirit of our people is too
much, and my orders are reversed and I am ordered
to encourage the trade in cotton, and all orders pro-
hibiting gold, silver, and notes to be paid for it are
annulled by orders from Washington. Grant
promptly ratified my order, and all military men
here saw at once that gold spent for cotton went
to the purchase of arms and munitions of war. But
what are the lives of our soldiers to the profits of the
merchants ?

Great Call for Men.

After a whole year of bungling the country has
at last discovered that we want more men. All knew
it last fall as well as now, but it was not popular.
Now one million three hundred thousand men are
required, when seven hundred thousand were deemed
absurd before. It will take time to work up these
raw recruits, and they will reach us in October, when
we should be in Jackson, Meridian, and Vicksburg.^
Still, I must not growl. I have purposely put backj
and have no right to criticise, save that I am glad the
papers have at last found out we are at war and hav(
a formidable enemy to combat.

Of course I approve the Confiscation Act, an(
would be willing to revolutionize the Government s(

STKANGE CHARGE OF LUNACY. 97

as to amend that article of the Constitution which
forbids the forfeiture of land to the heirs. My full
belief is we must colonize the country de novo, begin-
ning with Kentucky and Tennessee, and should re-
move four million of our people at once south of the
Ohio River, taking the farms and plantations of the
rebels. I deplore the war as much as ever, but if
the thing has to be done let the means be adequate.
Don't expect to overrun such a country or subdue
such a people In one, two, or five years. It is the
task of half a century. Although our army is thus
far south, it cannot stir from our garrisons. Our
men are killed or captured within sight of our lines.
I have two divisions here — mine and Hurlbut's,
about thirteen thousand men — am building a strong
fort, and think this Is to be one of the depots and
bases of operations for future movements.

Too Many Heads.

The loss of Halleck is almost fatal. We have no
one to replace him. Instead of having one head, we
have five or six, all Independent of each other. I ex-
pect our enemies will mass their troops and fall upon
our detachment?^ before new reinforcements come. I
cannot learn 7h^l there are any large bodies of men
near us here. There are detachments at Holly
Springs and Senatobia, the present termini of the
railroads from the South, and all the people of the
country are armed as guerillas. Curtis is at Helena,
eighty miles south, and Grant at Corinth, Bragg*s
army from Tripoli has moved to Chattanooga, and

7

98 GENEKAL SHERMAK

proposes to march on Nashville, Lexington, and
Cincinnati. They will have about seventy-five thou-
sand men.

Buell is near Huntsville with about thirty thousand,
and I suppose detachments of the new levies can be
put in Kentucky from Ohio and Indiana in time. The
weather is very hot, and Bragg can't move his forces
very fast; but I fear he will give trouble. My own
opinion is, we ought not to venture too much into the
interior until the river is safely in our possession,
when we could land at any point and strike inland.
To attempt to hold all the South would demand an
army too large even to think of. We must colonize
and settle as we go south, for in Missouri there is as
much strife as ever. Enemies must be killed or trans-
ported to some other country.

Your affectionate brother,

W. T. Sherman.

From the outset Sherman looked for a great war,
and he regarded President Lincoln's first call for
seventy-five thousand men in April, 1861, as trifling
with a serious matter. To him the Secessionists were
not merely an armed mob to be put down by a few
holiday soldiers. Very early in the war he did not
hesitate to give his views ofificlal expression. Made a
bricradier-eeneral of volunteers, he was assio^ned to
the Department of the Cumberland, under General
Roben: Anderson, whom he soon succeeded, General
Anderson's health havino- failed.

STKANGE CHARGE OF LUNACY. 99

He soon astounded the Washington optimists, who
were going to put down the revolt in sixty days, by
declaring that to retake the Mississippi Valley would
require two hundred thousand men. It was expected
by the Government that all the men needed to keep
Kentucky in the Union could be raised in that State,
but for that work alone Sherman declared that sixty

GENERAL JOHN A. LOGAN.

thousand would be needed. The country was dis
posed to look upon this sagacity as lunacy, and tli(s.
Government shared in the public distrust of Sherman,
as was shown by the fact that he was relieved of his
command on the 12th of November by General Buell,
and ordered to report to General Halleck, by whom
he was assigned to the command of Benton Barracks.
I This singular proceeding was brought about by Mr.

100 GENERAL SHERMAN.

Cameron, Secretary of War, mentioning- to General
Thomas what he called Sherman's insane request for
two hundred thousand men. Some newspaper-man
got hold of it, and the news was trumpeted abroad
that Sherman was •' insane, crazy," etc. The occasion
of Mn Cameron's remark was the following letter:

Headquarters Department of the Cumberland, ■
Louisvr.LE, Kentucky, October 22, 1861. ^

To General L. Thomas, Adjutant- General, Washing-
ton, D. C. :

Sm: On my arrival at Camp Dick Robinson, I
found General Thomas had stationed a Kentucky
regiment at Rock Casde Hill, beyond a river of the
same name, and had sent an Ohio and an Indiana regi-
ment forward in support. He was embarrassed for
transportation, and I authorized him to hire teams and
to move his whole force nearer to his advance-guard,
so as to support it, as he had information of the ap-
proach of Zollicoffer toward London. I have just
heard from him that he had sent forward General I
Schoepf with Colonel Wolford's cavalry, Colonel
Steadman's Ohio regiment, and a battery of artillery,
followed on a succeeding day by a Tennessee brigade.
He had still two Kentucky regiments, the Thirty- j
eighth Ohio, and another battery of artillery, with
which he was to follow yesterday. This force, if con-
centrated, should be strong enough for the purpose;
at all events, it is all he had or I could give him.

\ explained to you fully, when here, the supposed

STRANGE CHARGE OF LUNACY. 101

position of our adversaries, among whom was a force
in the valley of Big Sandy, supposed to be advancing
on Paris, Kentucky. General Nelson at Maysville
was instructed to collect all the men he could, and
Colonel Gill's regiment of Ohio volunteers. Colonel
Harris was already in position at Olympian Springs,
and a regiment lay at Lexington, which I ordered to
his support. This leaves the line of Thomas's opera-
tions exposed, but I cannot help it. I explained so
fully to yourself and the Secretary of War the con-
dition of thinors that I can add nothintr new until
further developments. You know my views, that this
great centre of our field is too weak, far too weak,
and I have begged and implored till I dare not say
more.

Buckner still is beyond Green River. He sent a
detachment of his men, variously estimated at from
two to four thousand, toward Greensburg. General
Ward, with about one thousand men, retreated to
Campbellsburg, where he called to his assistance some
partially-formed regiments to the number of about
two thousand. The enemy did not advance, and Gen-
eral Ward was at last dates at Campbellsburg. The
officers charged with raising regiments must of neces-
sity be near their homes to collect men, and for this
reason are out of position ; but at or near Greens-
burg and Lebanon I desire to assemble as large a
force of the Kentucky volunteers as possible.

This organization is necessarily Irregular, but the
necessity is so great that I must have them, and

102 GENERAL SHEBMAK

therefore have issued to them arms and clothing dur-
ing the process of formation. This has faciHtated
their enhstment ; but inasmuch as the Legislature has
provided money for organizing the Kentucky volun-
teers, and entrusted its disbursement to a board of
loyal gentlemen, I have endeavored to co-operate with
them to hasten the formation of these corps.

The great difficulty is, and has been, that as vol-
unteers offer we have not arms and clothing to give
them. The arms sent us are, as you cilready know,
European muskets of uncouth pattern, ivhich the vol-
imteers will not touch.

General McCook has now three brigades — John-
son's, Wood's, and Rousseau's. Negley's brigade ar-
rived to-day, and will be sent out at once. The Min-
nesota regiment has also arrived, and will be sent for-
ward. Hazzard's regiment of Indiana troops I have
ordered to the mouth of Salt Creek, an important
point on the turnpike-road leading to Elizabethtown.

I again repeat that our force here is out of all pro-
portion to the importance of the position. Our defeat
would be disastrous to the nation, and to expect of
new men, who never bore arms, to do miracles, is
not right.

I am, with much respect, yours truly,
W. T. Sherman,

Brigadier- General commanding.

This letter was characteristic of its author — saga-
cious, honest, outspoken, and right to the point

STRANGE CHARGE OP LUNACY. 103

Sherman knew the magnitude of the fight the country
had on hand ; he wished others to know it too.

The Facts in the Case.

It is important to the unsuUied fame of General
Sherman that the pubHc should have a plain state-
ment of the facts concerning this remarkable episode
in his history. In an interview with Mr. Cameron he
urged the necessity of raising more troops, expressing
views similar to those stated in his letter to Adjutant-
General Thomas. Cameron was astonished at the
demand for troops, and exclaimed, " Where are they
to come from ? " Sherman supposed his conversation
with Cameron was confidential, and had occasion to
complain afterward that it was made public and was
used to his disadvantage.

After the war was over General Thomas J. Wood,
then in command of the district of Vicksburg, prepared
a statement addressed to the public, describing the in-
terview with the Secretary of War, which he calls a
" council of war." Sherman did not then deem it
necessary to renew a matter which had been swept
into oblivion by the v^ar itself ; but, as it is evidence by
an eye-witness, it is worthy of insertion here.

Statement of General Wood.

" On the nth of October, 1861, the writer, who had
been personally on mustering duty in Indiana, was
appointed a brigadier-general of volunteers and
ordered to report to General Sherman, then in com-
mand of the Department of the Cumberland, with his
headquarters at Louisville, having succeeded General

104 GENERAL SHERMAN.

Robert Anderson, When the writer was about leav-
ing IndianapoHs to proceed to Louisville, Mr. Cameron,
returning from his famous visit of inspection to Gen-
eral Fremont's department at St. Louis, Missouri,
arrived at Indianapolis, and announced his intention
to visit General Sherman.

"The writer was invited to accompany the party to
Louisville. Taking the early morning train from In-
dianapolis to Louisville on the i6th of October, 1861,
the party arrived in Jeffersonville shortly after mid-
day. General Sherman met the party ir Jeffersonville,
and accompanied it to the Gait House in Louisville, the
hotel at which he was stopping.

Behind Closed Doors.

" During the afternoon General Sherman inforhied
the writer that a council of war was to be held im-
mediately in his private room in the hotel, and desired
him to be present at the council. General Sherman
and the writer proceeded directly to the room. The
writer entered the room first, and observed in It Mr.
Cameron, Adjutant-General L. Thomas, and some
other persons, all of whose names he did not know,
but whom he recognized as beine of Mr. Cameron's
party. The name of one of the party the writer had
learned, which he remembers as Wilkinson or Wil-
kerson, and who he understood was a writer for the
New York Tribune newspaper. The Hon. James
Guthrie was also in the room, having been invited, on
account of his eminent position as a citizen of Ken-
tucky, his high civic reputation, and his well-known

STRANGE CHARGE OF LUNACY. 105

devotion to the Union, to meet the Secretary of War
in the council. When General Sherman entered
the room he closed the door and turned the key in
the lock.

" Before entering on the business of the meet-
ing. General Sherman remarked substantially: * Mr.
Cameron, we have met here to discuss matters and
interchange views which should be known only by
persons high in the confidence of the Government.
There are persons present whom I do not know, and
I desire to know, before opening the business of the
council, whether they are persons who may be prop-
erly allowed to hear the views which I have to submit
to you.' Mr. Cameron eplied, with some little testi-
ness of manner, that the persons referred to belonged
to his party, and there was no objection to their
knowing whatever might be communicated to him on
a matter so important.

The Forces Insuflftcient.

"Certainly the legitimate and natural conclusion
from this remark of Mr. Cameron's was that what-
ever views might be submitted by General Sherman
would be considered under the protection of the seal
of secrecy, and would not be divulged to the public
till all apprehension of injurious consequences from
such disclosure had passed. And it may be remarked,
further, that justice to General Sherman required that
if, at any future time, his conclusions as to the amount
of force necessary to conduct the operations com-
mitted to his charge should be made public, the

106 GENERAL SHERMAN.

grounds on which his conclusions were based should
be made public at the same time, that there might be
no misapprehension.

" Mr. Cameron then asked General Sherman what
his plans were. To this General Sherman replied
that he had no plans ; that no sufficient force had
been placed at his disposition with which to devise
any plan of operations ; that before a commanding
general could project a plan of campaign he must
know what amount of force he would have to operate
with.

" The general added that he had views which he
would be happy to submit for the consideration of the
Secretary. Mr. Cameron desired to hear General
Sherman's views.

Sliernian Speaks for Kentucky.

" General Sherman began by giving his opinion of
the people of Kentucky and the then condition of the
State. He remarked that he believed a very large
majority of the people of Kentucky were thoroughly
devoted to the Union, and loyal to the Government,
and that the Unionists embraced almost all the older
and more substantial men in the State ; but, unfor-
tunately, there was no organization nor arms among
the Union men ; that the rebel minority, thoroughly
vindictive in its sentiments, was organized and armed
(this having been done in advance by their leaders),
and, beyond the reach of the Federal forces, overawed
and prevented the Union men from organizing ; that,
in his opinion, if Federal protection w^ere extended

STRANGE CHARGE OF LUNACY. 107

throughout the State to the Union men, a large force
could be raised for the service of the Government.

*•' General Sherman said that the information in his
possession indicated an intention, on the part of the
rebels, of a general and grand advance toward the
Ohio River. He further expressed the opinion that
if such advance should be made and not checked, the
rebel force would be swollen by at least twenty thou-
sand recruits from the disloyalists in Kentucky. His
low computation of the organized rebel soldiers then
in Kentucky fixed the strength at about thirty-five
thousand. Add twenty thousand for reinforcements
gained in Kentucky, to say nothing of troops drawn
from other rebel States, and the effective rebel force
in the State, at a low estimate, would be fifty-five
thousand men.

Difliculties Ahead,

" General Sherman explained forcibly how largely
the difficulties of suppressing the rebellion would be
enhanced if the rebels should be allowed to plant
themselves firmly, with strong fortifications, at com-
manding points on the Ohio River. It would be facile
for them to carry the war thence into the loyal States
north of the river.

*'To resist an advance of the rebels. General Sher-
man stated that he did not have at that time in Ken-
tucky more than some twelve to fourteen thousand
effective men. The bulk of this force was posted at
Camp Nolin, on the Louisville and Nashville railway,
fifty miles south of Louisville. A part of it was in

108 GENERAL SHERMAN.

Eastern Kentucky, under General George H. Thoma?,
and a very small force was in the lower valley of
Green River.

" General Sherman next presented a r^esunie of the
information in his possession as to the number of the
rebel troops in Kentucky. Commencing with the
force at Columbus, Kentucky, the reports varied,
giving the strength from ten to twenty thousand. It
was commanded by Lieutenant-General Polk. Gen-
eral Sherman fixed it at the lowest estimate, say, ten
thousand. The force at Bowling Green, commanded
by General A. S. Johnston, supported by Hardee,
Buckner, and others, was variously estimated at from
eighteen to thirty thousand. General Sherman esti-
mated this force at the lowest figures given to it by
his information — eighteen thousand.

The Enemy lias the Advaiitag-e.

"He explained that for purposes of defence these
two forces ought, owing to the facility with which
troops might be transportv^d from one to the other
by the network of railroads in Middle and West
Tennessee, to be considered almost as one. General
Sherman remarked also on the facility with which
reinforcements could be transported by railroad to
Bowling Green from the other rebellious States.

" The third organized body of rebel troops was in
Eastern Kentucky, under General Zollicoffer — esti-
mated, according to the most reliable information, at
six thousand men. This force threatened a descent,
if unrestrained, on the Blue-grass region of Kentucky,

STKANGE CHARGE OF LUNACY. 109

including the cities of Lexington and Frankfort, the
capital of the State, and, if successful in its primary
movements, as it would gather head as it advanced,
might endanger the safety of Cincinnati.

" This disposition of the force had been made for
the double purpose of watching and checking the
rebels and protecting the raising and organization
of troops among the Union men of Kentucky.

Defensive Operations Useless.

''Having explained the situation from the defer.-
sive point of view, General Sherman proceeded to
consider it from the offensive standpoint. The Gov-
ernment had undertaken to suppress the rebellion ;
the onus facieiidi, therefore, lested on the Govern-
ment. The rebellion could never be put down, the
authority of the paramount Government asserted,
and the union of the States declared perpetual by
force of arms, by maintaining the defensive; to ac-
complish these grand desiderata it was absolutely
necessary the Government should adopt and main-
tain until the rebellion was crushed the offensive.

"For the purpose of expelling the rebels from
Kentucky, General Sherman said that at least sixty
thousand soldiers were necessary. Considering that
the means of accomplishment must always be propor-
tioned to the end to be achieved, and bearing in mind
the array of rebel force then in Kentucky, every sen-
sible man must admit that the estimate of the force
given by General Sherman for driving the rebels out
of the State and re-establishing and maintaining the

110 GENEKAL SHERMAK

authority of the Government was a very low one.
The truth is, that before the rebels were driven from
Kentucky many more than sixty thousand soldiers
were sent into the State.

Number of Troops Required.

"Ascendine from the consideration of the narrow
question of the political and military situation in
Kentucky, and the extent of force necessary to re-
deem the State from rebel thraldom, forecasting in
his sagacious intellect the grand and daring opera-
tions which three years afterward he realized in a
campaign, taken in its entirety, without a parallel in
modern times, General Sherman expressed the
opinion that to carry the war to the Gulf of Mex-
ico and destroy all armed opposition to the Govern-
ment in the entire Mississippi Valley, at least two
hundred thousand troops were absolutely requisite.

*' So soon as General Sherman had concluded the
expression of his views Mr. Cameron asked, with
much warmth and apparent irritation, ' Where do you
suppose. General Sherman, all this force is to come
from ? ' General Sherman replied that he did not
know — that it was not his duty to raise, organize, and
put the necessary military force into the field ; that
duty pertained to the War Department. His duty
was to organize campaigns and command the troops
after they had been put into the field.

Sherman's Views Indorsed.

"At this point of the proceedings General Sher-
man suggested that it might be agreeable to the Sec-

STRANGE CHARGE OF LUNACY. Ill

retary to hear the views of Mr. Guthrie. Thus ap-
pealed to, Mr. Guthrie said he did not consider
himself, being a civilian, competent to give an
opinion as to the extent of force necessary to carry
the war to the Gulf of Mexico ; but, being well in-
formed of the condition of things in Kentucky, he
indorsed fully General Sherman's opinion of the
force required to drive the rebels out of the State.

" The foregoing is a circumstantial account of the
deliberations of the council that were of any im-
portance.

'' A good deal of desultory conversation followed
on immaterial matters, and some orders were issued
by telegraph by the Secretary of War for small re-
inforcements to be sent to Kentucky immediately
from Pennsylvania and Indiana.

"A short time after the council was held — the ex-
act time is not now remembered by the writer — an
imperfect narrative of it appeared in the New York
Tidbune. This account announced to the public the
conclusions uttered by General Sherman in the
council, without giving the reasons on which his con-
clusions were based. The unfairness of this course
to General Sherman needs no comment. All military
men were shocked by the gross breach of faith which
had been committed.

"Th. J. Wood, Major- General Volunteers.
"ViCKSBURG, Mississippi, y^z<;^z/j/ 24, 1866."

General Wood's account of w^hat passed between
Mr. Cameron and General Sherman shows how base-

112 GENERAL ^ERMAN.

less were the grounds upon which Sherman was judged
to be incompetent and crazy. No man comprehended
the appalHng situation more fully than he did. Events
immediately transpiring proved the correctness of his
judgment. He knew the magnitude of the great
Southern uprising; his keen eye saw the hosts mar
shalling for the fray. To be deceived and ignore facts
plain and undeniable was lunacy: the lunacy was not
his. He was nervous, excited, terribly in earnest ; his
soul was up in arms. To-day we know what solemn
occasion he had for believing that the " unpleasant-
ness" was something more than a bubble soon to
burst.

He was relieved of his command for a short time,
but his country called; her voice was imperative; the
grandest man in the field — in many respects the
grandest — must come to the front. He came, and
brilliant history in illuminated letters has recorded his
deeds.

CHAPTER IX.

After the War. — Not a Candidate for the Presi-
dency.— Sketch of the Hero. — Life in New
York.

Preliminary to the disbandment of the national
armies they passed in review before President John-
son and Cabinet and Lieutenant-General Grant — the
Army of the Potomac on May 23d, and General Sher-
man's army on the 24th. Sherman was particularly
observed and honored. From June 27, 1865, to
March 3, 1869, he was in command of the military
Division of the Mississippi, with headquarters at
St. Louis, embracing the Departments of the Ohio,
Missouri, and Arkansas.

Upon the appointment of Grant as general of the
army on July 25, 1866, Sherman was promoted to be
lieutenant-ofeneral, and when Grant became President
of the United States, March 4, 1869, Sherman suc-
ceeded him as general, with headquarters at Wash-
ington. From November 10, 1871, to September 17,
1872, he made a professional tour in Europe, and was
everywhere received with the honors due to his dis-
tinguished rank and service. At his own request, and
in order to make Sheridan general-in-chief, he was
placed on the retired list, with full pay and emolu-
ments, on February 8, 1884.

8 113

114 GENERAL SHERMAN.

Upon Sherman's retirement from the active list,
President Arthur issued an order in which he said:
"The announcement of the severance from the com-
mand of the army of one who has been for so many
years its distinguished chief can but awaken in the
minds, not only of the army, but of the people of the
United States, mingled emotions of regret and grati-
tude— regret at the withdrawal from active military
service of an officer whose lofty sense of duty has
been a model for all soldiers since he first entered the
army, in July, 1840, and gratitude, freshly awakened,
for the services of incalculable value rendered by him
in the war for the Union, which his great military
genius and daring did so much to end. The President
deems this a fitting occasion to give expression to the
gratitude felt toward General Sherman by his fellow-
citizens, and to hope that Providence may grant him
many years of health and happiness in the relief from
the active duties of his profession."

General Sherman received many honors, among
which may be mentioned the degree of LL.D. from
Dartmouth, Yale, Harvard, Princeton, and other uni-
versities, and membership in the Board of Regents of
the Smithsonian Institution, 1871 to 1883.

Slierinan and Blaine.

Every reader will peruse with interest the following^
written by General Sherman for the North American
Review of December, 1888:

In the year of our Lord, 1884, there was to be a
sharp contest for the nomination in Chicago for a

I

AFTEK THE WAR. 115

Presidential candidate of the Republican party. The
press and the people generally believed that Blaine
wanted it, and everybody turned to him as the man
best qualified to execute the policy to accomplish the
result aimed at. Still, abnegating himself, he wrote
to me from Washington this letter :

Confidential t strictly and absolutely se.

Washington, D. C, May 25, 1884.

My Dear General:

This letter requires no answer. After reading it
file it away in your most secret drawer or give it to
the flames.

At the approaching convention at Chicago it is
more than possible — it is, indeed, not improbable —
that you may be nominated for the Presidency. If
so, you must stand your hand, accept the responsi-
bility, and assume the duties of the place to which you
will surely be chosen if a candidate.

You must not look upon it as the work of the poli-
ticians. If it comes to you it will come as the ground-
swell of popular demand, and you can no more refuse
than you could have refused to obey an order when
you were a lieutenant in the army. If it come to
you at all, it will come as a call of patriotism. It
would in such an event injure your great fame as
much to decline it as it would for you to seek it.
Your historic record, full as it is, would be rendered
still more glorious by such an administration as you
would be able to give the country. Do not say a

116 GENERAL SHERMAN.

word in advance of die convendon, no matter who
may ask you. You are with your friends who will
jealously guard your honor and renown. Your
friend, James G. Blaine.

Sherman's Remarkable Answer.

To which I replied :

912 Garrison Ave,, St. Louis, Mo. |
May. 28, i88d. j

Hon. James G. Blaine, Washington, D. C. :

My Dear Friend: I have received your letter of
the 25th; shall construe it as absolutely confidential,
not intimating even to any member of my family that
I have heard from you ; and, though you may not
expect an answer, I hope you will not construe one
as unwarranted. I have a great many letters from
all points of the compass to a similar effect, one or
two of which I have answered frankly, but the great
mass are unanswered.

I ought not to submit myself to the cheap ridicule
of declining what is not offered, but it is only fair to
the many really able men who rightfully aspire to the
high honor of being President of the United States to
let them know that I am not, and must not be con-
strued as, a rival. In every man's life occurs an
epoch when he must choose his own career, and
when he may not throw^ off the responsibility or
tamely place his destiny in the hands of friends.
Mine occurred in Louisiana when, in 1861, alone in
the midst of a people blinded by supposed wrongs,
I resolved to stand by the Union as long as a frag-

AFTER THE WAR. 117

ment of it survived on which to cling. Since then,
through faction, tempest, war, and peace, my career
has been all my family and friends could ask.

We are now in a good house of our own choice,
with reasonable provisions for old age, surrounded
by kind and admiring friends, in a community where
Catholicism is held in respect and veneration, and
where my children will naturally grow up in contact
with an industrious and frugal people. You have
known and appreciated Mrs. Sherman from child-
hood, have also known each and all the members of
my family, and can understand without an explanation
from me how their thouo^hts and feelings should and
ought to influence my action. But I will not even
throw off on them the responsibility.

I will not in any event entertain or accept a nomi-
nation as a candidate for President by the Chicago
Republican Convention or any other convention, for
reasons personal to myself. I claim that the Civil
War, in which I simply did a man's fair share of work,
so perfectly accomplished peace that military men have
an absolute rieht to rest, and to demand that the men
who have been schooled in the arts and practice of
peace shall now do their work equally well.

Any Senator can step from his chair at the Capitol
into the White House and fulfil the office of President
with more skill and success than a Grant, Sherman, or
Sheridan, who were soldiers by education and nature,
who filled well their office when the country was in
danger, but were not schooled in the practice by

118 GENERAL SHERMAN.

which civil communities are and should be governed.
I claim that our experience since 1865 demonstrates
the truth of this my proposition. Therefore I say
that patriotism does not demand of me what I con-
strue as a sacrifice of judgment, of inclination, and
of self-interest.

I have my personal affairs in a state of absolute
safety and comfort. I owe no man a cent, have no
expensive habits, envy no man his wealth or power,
no complications or indirect liabilities, and would ac-
count myself a fool, a madman, an ass, to embark
anew at sixty-five years of age in a career that may
become at any moment tempest-tossed by perfidy, the
defalcation, the dishonesty, or neglect of any single
one of a hundred thousand subordinates utterly un-
known to the President of the United States, not to
say the eternal worriment of a vast host of impecu-
nious friends and old military subordinates. Even as
it is I am tortured by the charitable appeals of poor,
distressed pensioners, but as President these would
be multiplied beyond human endurance. J

I remember well the experience of Generals Jack-
son, Harrison, Taylor, Grant, Hayes, and Garfield, all
elected because of their military services, and am
warned, not encouraged, by their sad experiences.

The civilians of the United States should and must
buffet with this thankless office, and leave us old
soldiers to enjoy the peace we fought for and think
we earned. With profound respect, your friend,

W. T. Shermak.

AFTEH THE WAR. 119

These letters prove absolutely that Mr. Blaine,
though qualified, waived to me personally a nomina-
tion which the world still believes he then coveted for
himself.

For copies of these letters I believe I have been
importuned a thousand times, but as a soldier I claim
the privilege of unmasking my batteries when I
please.

In giving to the North American Review at this
late day these letters, which thus far have remained
hidden in my private files, I commit no breach of con-
fidence, and to put at rest a matter of constant inquiry
referred to in my letter of May 28, 1884, I here record
that my immediate family are strongly Catholic. I am
not and cannot be. That is all the public has a right
to know ; nor do I wish to be construed as departing
from a resolve made forty years ago never to embark
in politics. The brightest and best youth of our land
have been drawn into that maelstrom, and their
wrecked fortunes strew the beach of the ocean of
time. My memory, even in its short time, brings up
names of victims by the hundreds, if not thousands.

W. T. Sherman.

Nothing could swerve the general from his purpose
to avoid a public life. He had won his fame, and was
satisfied. At this time, when his name was promi-
nently mentioned for the Presidency, and when he
might have got the nomination, he said to a particular
friend, speaking about it: "I wouldn't be devilled by

120 GENERAL SHERMAN.

that horde of Congressmen if I could be President for
life."

Sketch of the General.

Those three heroes, Grant, Sheridan, and Sherman,
after the war lived for many years at the National
Capital and became identified with its society. It was
here that they were the best known and appreciated.
General Sherman came in closer touch with society
at large than the other two generals. He was fonder
of general company and was more ready to become
acquainted with strangers. Grant was companionable
only with his intimates. The same could be said of
Sheridan. He was even more retiring than Grant.
He detested going out in general society, while
society was the atmosphere which General Sherman
needed in order to live.

The latter was fond of gatherings of any kind. He
loved to be the centre of a bright, cheerful group. He
had sympathies which reached out in every direction.
While he had strong likes and dislikes, he had few
prejudices. Like all of the leading men who fought
in the Union army, he had more sympathy for the
South than any of the Northern politicians. Yet he
believed that sterner measures should have been em-
ployed during the period of reconstruction.

As a friend to the South he believed that It w^ould
have been better If the laws had been more rigidly
enforced by the Federal authority, and if the States
had not recovered local self-control so early. They
should have received back their old rights only when

AFTER THE WAR. 121

they had given the most solemn guarantee to enforce
the laws passed for the protection of the rights of the
colored people. Even then this authority should have
been granted only temporarily, and only made per-
manent when it was clear that the State was going to
act throughout in good faith.

A Masterly Intellect.

General Sherman had more brilliant intellectual
qualities than his two great associates. In this we do
not speak of him as a soldier, but as a man. His
position as a soldier has been long ago determined by
the first military critics of the world. The intellectual
advantage that he had over his associates was in his
readiness of expression. He was an easy and elegant
writer upon almost any topic of the day.

He was also a ready speaker. He had a directness
of style and a blunt eloquence which always captivated
an audience. He was so direct and so honest as to
produce with the simplest phrases the profoundest im-
pression. He was one of the most upright of men.
He was patriotic to the verge of passion. No one
who has been in the public life of this country was
ever more devoted to its highest and best interests.
Upon this subject he was always eloquent.

His character was noted for its strong quality of
common sense. At the height of his popularity as
a general of the army he was never tempted for a
moment by any of the flattering offers of the politicians
to permit his great name to be used in politics. He
said often that this was the mistake which Grant made.

122 GENERAL SHERMAN.

When Grant came out of the war he was at the highest
pinnacle of success. When he resigned from the
army and became President, General Sherman always
said he began a career of misfortune.

Ambition Satisfied.

General Sherman would often say to the politi-
cians: "I am a soldier out and out. For that I am
trained, and for that career I am fitted. I have to-day
arrived at the climax of my ambition. I am general
of the army, and at its head. I desire nothing more.
I do not propose to risk my name and fame in the
field of partisan politics. I want to leave my reputa-
tion free from tarnish to my children."

From this resolution General Sherman never
swerved. He was never more sorely tempted than
during the period of the Chicago Convention which
nominated Mr. Blaine. The politicians then came
to him and said : " With your name we can carry
the convention."

The combination which came to the general was a
strong one. It controlled certainly enough votes to
have tempted any man with Presidential ambitions,
but General Sherman said " No " from the first.
The committee which called on him told him fiady
and frankly that they should not consider his refusal,
but that they should go ahead and use their own
judgment. It was then that the general sat down
and dictated that brusque letter which ex-Senator
Henderson caused to be read to the convention, and
which showed clearly to every one that no possible

AFTEB THE WAU. 123

combination of circumstances could force General
Sherman to accept a nomination.

**Go Ahead!"

The general was hot-tempered. He despised petty
technicalities. When he was in the War Department
the bureau people fretted him with the endless red
tape which of necessity came to him when he took
charge of the great army machine. He would often
write orders for the direction of affairs In the West
which would be in direct conflict with the civil law.
Once, when his attention was called to this by the
adjutant-general in some particular order issued by
the general concerning Indian territory, the general
replied to the assertion that this was against the law,
"So much the worse for the law. Go ahead ! "

It was only with difficulty that he was coaxed into
changing the order. While he was imperious and
high-tempered, he was withal one of the kindest-
hearted and most just of men. He would apologize
for any hasty word with the earnest vigor of a manly
man convicted of having made a mistake. The
bureau people apparently took great pleasure in
fretting the general, and two or three of them,
whom It is needless to name now, were responsible
for the celebrated controversy he had with the Secre-
tary of War under Hayes.

«*A Plain, Blunt Man."

General Sherman could not reconcile himself to
the fact that a civilian Secretary of War should be
his superior in purely military matters. It was no

124 GENERAL SHERMAN.

wonder that he held this view. Mr. McCrary, who
was Secretary of War at that time, was a respectable
ex-member of Congress from Iowa. He knew no
more about military matters than any one who had
always been occupied with civil affairs. When he
came into the Department the small bureau people
who loved to fret General Sherman were continually
forcing the secretary to show his authority. Sherman
would say: "What does this Iowa chap mean by
always interfering?" He was too blunt and out-
spoken to get along. He was too impatient to be
diplomatic, and so he challenged outright the authority
of the secretary. Technically, the Secretary of War
was correct, and the President was obliged to sustain
him.

If Mr. McCrary had been a greater man, he would
undoubtedly have seen some way to avoid a con-
troversy with this distinguished general. Any right-
minded secretary would have been only too glad to
give General Sherman full sway. Mr. McCrary, how-
ever, was of the type, dogged and dull, which is as
relentless as fate in adhering to some small technical
right, and consequently the breach between him and
the general was made complete when the President
sustained the secretar}'. General Sherman never
called on him after that. He made one appeal to the
President, and that was to be permitted to remove
the headquarters of the army to St. Louis. This
permission was given him, to the great despair of his
staff officers. He packed up the whole establishment

AFTER THE WAR. 125

and for the first time since the close of the war the
headquarters of the army were in another place than
at the Capital.

After several years of exile in St. Louis, where
he was unhappy and discontented, General Sherman
was persuaded to bring back the headquarters of the
army with him, but only after Mr. McCrary had
retired. Conflicts have always existed since the war
between the general of the army and the Secretary
of War. But no one ever made such an energetic
protest as General Sherman.

Personal Appearance.

General Sherman was of a tall and spare figure.
He had what is called an iron constitution. He never
showed signs of fatigue, and was tireless in going
about seeking amusement and entertainment when
not engaged in the performance of his duties. At
the War Department he was a close worker. He
had great energy and great decision of character.
He could transact business rapidly. He had keen
intuitions and formed impressions as rapidly as a
woman. He was a strange combination of iron self-
control and passionate emotional capabilities.

The general was over six feet in height. He was

broad-shouldered. There ^ as a ereat resemblance

<_>

between him and his brothe , Senator John Sherman.
General Sherman had all the ruoreedness of feature
of a man who lived out of doors, while the Senator's
features are refined by indoor life and the study of
books, The general had a broad forehead, dark eyes

126 GENERAL SHERMAN.

deeply set, a large Roman nose, a face marked and
seamed in its upper part and hidden in the lower part
by a short, gray beard and mustache. He had a deep
voice. He was fond of young people. He loved to
go to the theatre.

He rarely prepared himself for any speech-making.
Nearly all of his remarks were off-hand, the ideas of
which were suggested to him through the stimulus of
the occasion. He was fond of attending Grand Army
gatherings. At their meetings, called camp-fires, he
used to appear at his best. Surrounded by his old
associates, he would recount in a most spirited and
entertaining manner stories and experiences of his
campaigns. He was a man of extreme simplicity of
manners, thoroughly devoid of any pretence. He
was a manly man. He was in sympathetic touch with
the plain people. He knew all parts of this country
well. He was especially interested in the West and
its development.

Graphic Pictures of the War.

One of the most important chapters of his life after
the war was the writing of his memoirs. He wrote
this book too soon after the war for his own personal
comfort. He had to speak of the actors in the War
of the Rebellion while the greater number of them
were still living. He wrote as plainly concerning
them as if they had been dead and buried. His blunt
criticisms brought out many protests. But in the end
these memoirs will live as one of the most correct
pictures of the period through which he passed, Th^

AFTEE THE WAK. 127

books written by the three great generals form a
splendid basis for an estimate of their characters.
Sherman Is more brilliant, more slashing, and enter-
taining. This is his character.

Very Gallant.

He had the reputation of being one of the most
gallant men in the army. His gallantry, however,
was kindly and commendable throughout his whole
long life. His great name was never touched by
scandal. He had a fatherly, kindly air which made a
welcome for him in every house in Washington. His
favorite companion in Washington days was General
Van Vliet. Arm in arm they used to go about from
one house to another, greeted everywhere with the
smiles and bright looks of the young ladies of Wash-
ino-ton, who vied with each other in strewinof social
roses in the path of this most distinguished and most
charmlnof veteran.

The resolution and strong purpose and grim gravity
exhibited by his features In repose would Indicate to
the stranger a lack of the softer and more humane
qualities, but when he was animated In social conver-
sation such an estimate was changed at once, and in
his bright and sympathizing smile one was reminded
of Richard's words :

" Grim-visaged War has smoothed his wrinkled front."

His association with his friends and comrades was
always exceedingly cordial, and his affection for those
allied to him as tender as that of a woman, Jn May,

128 OEIS EBA L SHERMAN.

1888, when he presided for the last time at a dinner
of the Loyal Legion, he declined a re-election, and
when he arose, at two o'clock in the morning, to say
good-bye, an almost death-like stillness prevailed.

A Pathetic Farewell.

The general spoke with feeling of the extraordinary,
scene. He said it was delightful to see such a body of
men togther, so strong physically and mentally, and to
hear such speeches. He was sure no European country
could produce such a gathering, yet he had seen sim-
ilar meetings all over this land, from Maine to Puget's
Sound, even in New Orleans and in Atlanta. The
lessons of patriotism and loyalty to the flag inculcated
here he begged companions to carry home with them
and teach them to their children and grandchildren ;
and with this he said farewell, asking the commandery
to join in singing " America."

General Sherman had to fight some battles after
the war, and was attacked repeatedly and in many
ways. But he always seemed to take a grim satis-
faction in the blows both given and received, and it
was never said of him that he ran away from his
enemy.

In November, 1871, he obtained leave of absence
for twelve months, and travelled extensively in the
East and in Europe, being received everywhere with
many honors. The Khedive of Egypt caused a
good deal of comment by sending to the general's
daughter Minnie a valuable present of diamonds.

The general's family consisted of his wife, Ellen

AFTEE THE WAR 129

Boyle Ewing, and six children, two sons and four
daughters. He was married, as already stated, in
1850, when thirty years of age, and his active mil-
itary life, which began ten years later, involved the
necessary separation from his family a great portion
of the time until the close of the war. This was not
according to his liking, but he was too good a patriot
and soldier to grumble or find fault while battles
were to be fought and won. On his retirement he
removed from Washington to St. Louis, where he
had resided at the breaking out of the war. Here he
intended to spend the remainder of his life, but two
years later was induced by his daughter, Mrs. Fitch,
to move to New York, where he continued to reside
until his death.

Hoviseliold Circle.
The first two or three years of his residence in
New York he spent with his wife at the Fifth Avenue
Hotel, but, preferring home to hotel life, he removed
in the latter part of 1888 to a modest house on Sev-
enty-first street, where he passed his closing years.
Here his wife died of heart disease November 28,
1888, at the age of sixty-four. After her death his
two unmarried daughters, Lizzie and Rachel, pre-
sided over the affairs of his household. His other
children are Thomas Ewing Sherman, a Catholic
priest; Tecumseh Sherman, a member of the bar in
New York City ; Elenor M., the wife of Lieutenant
Thackara of the navy ; and Mrs. T. W. Fitch of
Pittsburg.

130 GENEKAL SHERMAN.

Mrs. Sherman was a devout Catholic, who trained
her children in her own faith, and through whose
influence her eldest son became a member of the
priesthood. His choice of a religious life was a great
disappointment to his father, who had marked out for
him a brilliant career in another channel. General
Sherman was too good a father to oppose his son's
choice, while regretting it, as he was too good a hus-
band to oppose his wife, although not a Catholic him-
self. His own religious faith is best expressed in his
own reverent words on one occasion when asked the
question. " I believe in God the Almighty ; that is as
far as I have got," said the grim-visaged soldier.

Army Treasures.

At his home in New York his closing years were
far from idle. An early riser, methodical in his habits
and work, after a light breakfast he was accustomed
to resort at once to the library on the parlor floor of
his house. It contained a comparatively large collec
tion of books, not entirely of a military character.
There were few men who were better posted on the
literary and historical records of this and other lands.
A large amount of the space in his library was taken
up by the maps which were drawn by himself and his
generals during the Civil War.

He had the original copies of the maps, and there
was scarcely a day when he was not called upon to
settle by reference some disputes as to a military
manoeuvre made by himself or some other general.
These maps were his hobby, and very valuable they

AFTER THE WAR 131

are, too, viewed from any standpoint. Then, too, he
had an enormous correspondence, made up largely
cf uivitations to speak before Grand Army posts and
to contribute to all sorts of periodicals. He passed
through the evening of his life in a calm and quiet
manner, beloved and honored by the whole country,
and blessed with a fuller share of happiness than falls
to the lot of most men.

In the summer of 1878 a great disappointment fell

upon the general. His eldest son, Thomas Ewing

Sherman, named after the kind foster-father and the

idol of his father, whom the general had hoped to

make a soldier, but finding this impossible had fitted

for the study of the law, decided after long hesitation

' to devote his life to the priesthood. This decision

'almost broke the general's heart, and he refused to

'lend the slightest countenance to the step.

In a letter dated June i, 1878, from young Sherman
to his friend Samuel Elbers of St. Louis, which was
published with his consent, he stated what he pro-
posed to do and besought his father's friends not to
question the latter about it.

' "Father," the young man wrote, **gave me a com-
plete education for the Bar at Georgetown College
and the Scientific School at Yale. On me rests the
entire responsibility for taking this step. I go with-
out his sanction, approval, or consent."
' At the same time he expressed his sorrow for caus-
ng such grief and disappointment to the father whom
le loved. The greatest cross of General Sherman's

132 GENEEAL SHERMAK

was that no son of his followed him into the army.
That has always been his first and greatest love.

General Sherman showed his belief in a future life
in a letter which he wrote on his return from burying
his wife. " I expec ed to go first," he wrote, " as I am
much older and have been more severely tried, but it
was not to be. But I expect to resume my place at
her side some day."

ii

CHAPTER X.

Reminiscences of the Renowned Commander.
— Ardent Friendship for Grant. — Interesting
Facts and Anecdotes.

Like all men of strong and intense American per-
sonality, General Sherman had some peculiarities
that were quite his own. Akin to Grant's taciturnity
I was Sherman's brusqueness. He was not exactly
' discourteous (though none held in greater contempt
the ceremonial insincerities of what is called polite
life), but he had the bluntness of the soldier to ex-
cess. If anything was said that did not meet with
his approval, he was quick to say so in most forcible
terms, and he did not care how it was taken. Even
in private life he was the fighter, and it was this ag-
j gressiveness and pugnacity of his nature and his
I way of hitting out straight from the shoulder that got
him into so many disputes in St. Louis about seem-
ing trifles, and led him to finally shake the dust of
the city from his feet for ever.

If he did not like people he did not hesitate to tell
them so, and he was very quick and decided in his
likes and dislikes. Very often it took strangers some
time to get accustomed to him, he was so thoroughly
sincere and free from the stereotyped convention-
alities. Like many another great soldier, he was for-

134 GENERAL SHERMAN.

cible in his language and found strong expletives
convenient to express his feelings. These usually
came thick and fast whenever politics was broached,
though it was the subject he did not like. He had
an odd antipathy to Congressmen, and as a class
spoke of them in terms far from complimentary.

In February, 1862, Grant was assigned to the
command of the new military District of West Ten-
nessee, with '' limits not defined." At the same time
Sherman, who was then a brigadier-general, was put
in command of the District of Cairo. They had
both been at West Point together, but Sherman had
been graduated three years earlier, and up to 1862
no intimacy had existed between them. Fortune, in
fact, had set them thousands of miles apart, and be-
sides there was a considerable difference in their
wordly condition. Grant was then, as a rule, very
poor, while Sherman, if not rich, was at least com-
fortable.

Congratulating" Grant.

The first official intercourse of the two men who
were destined to win the highest renown in the army
took place during the siege of Fort Donelson, when
Sherman sent troops and supplies to Grant with ex
traordinary rapidity. Sherman was then the senior,
but he wrote to Grant : *' I will do everything in my
power to hurry forward your reinforcements and sup-
plies, and if I could be of service myself would gladly
come, without making any question of rank with your-
self or General Smith." There was not a particle of

INCIDENTS IN HIS LIFE. 135

envy in Sherman's nature, and he never intrigued for
place or position.

When Donelson fell, Sherman was one of the first
to congratulate General Grant on his success. " I
feel under many obligations to you," wrote General
Grant in reply, " for the kind terms of your letter, and
hope that should an opportunity occur you will earn
for yourself that promotion which you are kind enough
to say belongs to me. I care nothing for promotion
so long as our arms are successful and no political
appointments are made." Many years passed before
the pleasant relations that existed then between the
two soldiers were disclosed. The war had gone into
history, but when at length the story was told the
country could understand for the first time why it was
there was victory in the West and so much disaster in
the East.

"This," says Badeau in \kv^ Military History of U,
S. Grant, " was the beginning of a friendship destined
thereafter never to flag ; to stand the test of apparent
rivalry and public censure ; to remain firm under
trials such as few friendships were ever subjected to;
to become warmer as often as it was sought to be in-
terrupted, and in hours of extraordinary anxiety and
responsibility and care to afford a solace and a sup-
port that were never lacking when the need arose."

Noble Words from Grant.

Early in 1864, General Grant was made lieutenant-
general and assumed command of all the armies of
^^ United States. Immediately on receiving this

136 GENERAL SHERMAN.

promotion, with characteristic generosity he wrote as
follows to Sherman :

"While I have been eminently successful in this
war, in at least gaining the confidence of the public,
no one feels more than I how much of this success is
due to the energy, skill, and the harmonious putting
forth of that energy and skill, of those whom it has
been my good fortune to have occupying subordinate
positions under me.

" There are many officers to whom these remarks
are applicable to a greater or less degree, propor-
tionate to their ability as soldiers ; but what I want is
to express my thanks to you and McPherson as the
men to whom, above all others, I feel indebted for
whatever I have had of success. How far your
advice and suggestions have been of assistance you
know. How far your execution of whatever has
been given you to do entitles you to the reward I am
receiving you cannot know as well as I do. I feel all
the gratitude this letter would express, giving it the
most flattering construction."

The reply of General Sherman to what he well
called a "characteristic and more than kind" letter is
worth quoting in part, to show the relations which
existed between these two eminent soldiers fighting
in a common cause.

'*I repeat, you do General McPherson and myself
too much honor. At Belmont you manifested your
traits, neither of us being near; at Donelson also you
illustrated your whole character. I was not near, and

INCIDENTS IN HIS LIFE. 137

General McPherson was in too subordinate a capacity
to influence you.

" Until you had won Donelson, I confess I was
almost cowed by the terrible array of anarchical
elements that presented themselves at every point;
but that victory admitted the ray of light which I have
followed ever since.

*' I believe you are as brave, patriotic, and just as
the great prototype Washington ; as unselfish, kind-
hearted, and honest as a man should be ; but the
chief characteristic in your nature is the simple faith
in success you have always manifested, which I can
liken to nothing else than the faith a Christian has in
his Saviour."

Among General Sherman's photographs was a cen-
tral group of three pictures. The middle one of these
was a full-length likeness of Ulysses S. Grant stand-
ing in an easy pose, with the left hand thrust into the
breast of a fatigue coat and the right deep down in
the trousers pocket. To the left of this was a picture
of Phil Sheridan in full uniform, and to the right was
a picture of General Sherman himself, also in full
uniform. He was especially fond of these pictures
of Grant and Sheridan. He was wont to say that he
knew of no other likeness of Grant that showed so
clearly the repose of the man. It had been taken at
the close of the war, when Grant was down to fight-
ing weight, as the general expressed it, and before he
had become fleshy and taken on the heavy look that
appears in some of his later pictures. The picture

138 GENEEAL ^HERMAN.

of Sheridan had been selected by General Sheridan
out of many hundreds, and on this account General
Sherman preferred it to all others. He used to say
that he loved these pictures because they recalled to
him the men as he had known them best. These pho-
tographs were among his valuable treasures.

Porter's Description of Sherman.

Admiral Porter got down to Memphis, where Sher-
man was awaiting him, in a week or ten days, and
sent word to Sherman that he would call on him.
Admiral Porter, in one of his books, gives a racy
account of the meeting and a good portrait of Sher-
man. They had never before met. "Thinking," says
the admiral, " that Sherman would be dressed in full
feather, I put on my uniform coat, the splendor of
which rivalled that of a drum-major. Sherman, hear-
ing that I was indifferent to appearances and generally
dressed in working clothes, thought he would not
annoy me by fixing up, and so kept on his blue flannel
suit, and we met, both a little surprised at the appear-
ance of the other.

"'Halloo, Porter!' said the general, 'I am glad to
see you ; you got here sooner than I expected, but
we'll get off to-night.' (They were preparing for the
second attack on Vicksburg.) ' Devilish cold, isn't it?
Sit down and warm up.' And he stirred up the coal
in the grate. — ' Here, captain,' to one of his aides,
* tell General Blair to get his men on board at once.
Tell the quartermaster to report as soon as he has
six hundred thousand rations embarked.' — ' Here

INCIDENTS IN HIS LIFE. 130

Dick,' to his servant, 'put me up some shirts and
underclothes in a bag, and don't bother me with a
trunk and traps enough for a regiment.' — ' Here,
captain,' to another aide, ' tell the steamboat captains
to have steam up at six o'clock, and to lay in plenty
of fuel, for I'm not going to stop every few hours to
cut wood. Tell the officer in charge of embarkation
to allow no picking and choosing of boats — the gen-
erals in command must take what is given them.
There ! that will do. — Glad to see you, Porter ; how's
Grant ?' "

Could not Perforin Impossibilities.
The embarkation took place December 19, the boats
steaming down to Helena. The failure of that expe-
dition is a matter of history. The obstacles and mis-
haps were too great for even Sherman to overcome,
and he retired, surrendering the command to McCler-
nand, who had been personally appointed by Presi-
dent Lincoln. " My relief on the heels of a failure,"
says Sherman, " raised the usual cry at the North of
'repulse, failure, and bungling.' There was no bung-
ling on my part, for I never worked harder or with
more intensity of purpose in my life, and General
Grant, long after, in his report of the operations of
the siege of Vicksburg, gave us all full credit for the
skill of the movement and described the almost im-
pregnable nature of the ground ; and, although in my
official reports I assumed the whole responsibility, I
have ever felt that had General Morgan promptly and
skilfully sustained the lead of Frank Blair's brigade

140 GENERAL SHERMAN.

on that day, we should have broken the rebel line and
effected a lodgment on the hills behind Vicksburg."

Sherman's wonderful faculty for comprehending
topographical details, developed, of course, by his war
experience, often astonished those with whom he was
well acquainted. He would go for a drive where he
had never been before, and startle those around him
bv tellino- them where this and that road started, the
length of stream, what was planted before growth ap-
peared, and even telling what would be encountered
ahead that was not in sight. All this he did by his
keen observation, his wonderful intuition and reason-
ing powers, and the experience he had given to such
matters for a Hfetime. He said himself once, in
speaking of his march to the sea, that he already
knew before he started some of the States better than
anybody who lived in them.

liiving" Over Old Campaigns.

General Sherman's house was a war-ofhce in mini-
ature. In his basement he had a big office fitted up
with war maps and documents of tremendous value,
including duplicates of those in use at Washington.
Here he passed many happy hours, living over the old
campaigns with the maps before his eyes, and plan-
ning how he might have done otherwise if he had it
all to do over again, and what the result of this or
that movement would have been.

The office was a rendezvous for military men when
they were in New York, who always were certain of
meetinor with a warm welcome, and it was much fre-

INCIDENTS IN HIS LIFE. 141

quented by historical writers in search of material and
documentary evidence.

A friend, in speaking of the general, said : " The
old fighter is peculiar in one respect. The girl that
opens his door for visitors never has to go and ask
him if he is in. At the first she tells one that ' the
general is in,' or he is not. That settles it. If he is
in he will see you. If you are a bore, as a good many
of his callers are, look out for squalls, and under any
circumstances it is not well to be prolix. General
Sherman likes one to get to the point at once. If the
visitor is not able to do this, he is likely to be inter-
rupted.

*' There is one sort of a caller who is always received
with warmth, and that is one of General Sherman's
old soldiers, or his 'boys,' as he calls them. Just how
much assistance General Sherman gives to old and
unfortunate soldiers it would be hard to say. No one
but himself knows, and he won't tell. But these are
among the more numerous of the visitors at his house.
Besides them there are all sorts and conditions of
callers at his house."

The California Drummer.

General Sherman had a wonderful memory. This
was illustrated by an incident that occurred in Phila-
delphia. He was visiting his daughter, and while
sitting at the open window smoking one midsummer
night he saw the policeman pass, and as the patrol-
man halted a moment the general was noticed to give
him a keen glance and utter an exclamation.

142 GENEEAL SHERMAN.

The next evening he told some one that when the
policeman on the beat passed again to say he wanted
to speak to him. When the officer entered he
straightened up and gave General Sherman the re-
gular military salute.

"Ah, ha!" said the general, *' I thought so. Now,
where was it I saw you before ? Do you know me ? "

"Oh yes," said the bearded patrolman, "I knew
you when you were a lieutenant. I was your drum-
mer in California."

" Ha, ha, I thought so ; and wait a bit. So you
were that little drummer-boy, and your name — your
name's Hutchinson."

Sure enough, the general of the United States
army, who had seen thousands of drummers, had
recognized in a passing policeman the drummer-boy
who was with his company in the Mexican War.

Dates, names, figures, and the greatest intricacy of
details could not escape General Sherman's marvel-
lous memory. He remembered them all, and could
call them up after the lapse of many years. He
remembered everything about California just before
and at the time it was admitted to the Union as
though it had been yesterday. He was in command
of a portion of the United States forces there then.

Sherman's Hiimoroiis Side.

The men who served with or under General Sher-
man in any of his numerous and brilliant campaigns
are now telling anecdotes illustrative of that wonderful
personality that has made so deep an impress upon

INCIDENTS IN HIS LIFE. 143

American history during the third of a century past.
It was in the presence of his old army friends, when
the civiHan world was shut out, that he was at his
best, and the flow of his spirits ran unchecked and
joke and story ran into each other, sometimes at the
expense of his neighbor and as often at the expense
of himself. No conceit gave him more amusement
than that his friend General Howard was a convivial
spirit, given to the bowl and kindred pursuits, whereas
the hero of the one arm is the most temperate of
men. It was this fact that gave point to the joke, and
Sherman was never more happy than when he could
corner Howard at one of their little Loyal Legion
dinners and lecture him upon the errors of his ways.

That Seidlitz Powder.

Perhaps Sherman never forgot a great practical
joke which Howard unconsciously played upon him
back in the days when the Union army was resting
upon its arms at Goldsborough. Sherman paid a visit
to Howard's tent, where neither wine nor anything
more invigorating than cold water was kept. As luck
would have it. Dr. James Moore, the medical director,
dropped into Howard's tent. Here was a man Sher-
man could depend upon in an emergency like this.

Sherman gave Moore a wink when Howard's back
was turned and said, " Doctor, have you a seidlitz
powder in your quarters ? I don't feel just right, and
I know one would do me good." Moore had not sup-
plemented a liberal college education by several years
in the army in vain. He was equal to any drug clerk

144 GENERAL ^HERMAN.

of New York in his knowledge of the meaning of a
wink.

*'A seidlitz powder, general? Certainly. Come
right over to my quarters and I can fix you out imme
diately."

General Howard sprang to his feet, "That won't
be necessary, doctor," said he. " I have plenty of
powders here, and good ones, too. I will get the gen-
eral one."

Sherman had little desire and less need for a seid-
litz just then, and he followed Howard to his feet.
" Never mind," said he, " I can get along very well
without it."

" No trouble at all," Howard answered, as he began
to get the powder and the glasses ready. Sherman
turned to Moore for relief, but that gentleman was
busy in examining the landscape as an aid to keeping
his face straight.

When that was accomplished he turned about and
gravely said: "By the way, general, I don't believe I
have one about the premises, and you had better
take the one Howard has prepared." Moore was
something of a joker himself, and knew a joke when
he saw one.

Sherman was a soldier to the backbone and would
not retreat in the face of an enemy. When Howard
came up with the glasses he bravely took them and
swallowed the foaming stuff But he never again
complained of needing medicine when in Howard's
tent.

INCIDENTS XN HIS LIFE. 145

A Joke on the General.

A joke as good, but of a different character, was
that almost unconsciously perpetrated on Sherman by
an Indian chief. Out at Fort Bayard there lay for a
long time an old cannon of no use to any one, but
which had greatly taken the fancy of an old Apache
chief. He daily asked the commander for it, but was
put off with the excuse that it belonged to the Gov-
ernment and could not be given away. One day Gen-
eral Sherman arrived at the fort, and the request of
the chief was referred to him. He examined the can-
non, saw that it was worthless, and told the Indian he
might have it. Then, putting on a grave air, he said
to the chief: "I am afraid you want that gun so that
you can turn it on my soldiers and kill them."

"Umph! no," was the unexpected reply. "Can-
non kill cowboys. Kill soldiers with club."

General Hickenlooper of Ohio tells a story illus-
trating Sherman's dry wit, rather at the expense of
General Corse. In the fight at Allatoona a rifle-ball
took Corse alongside the head, making a slight wound
that, at the time, was thought to be a great deal more
dangerous than it really was. When the word reached
Sherman it had been greatly magnified, and he was
informed that Corse's ear and cheek were gone, but
that he would still hold his position and fight it out.

Meanwhile, Corse had tied up his head and gone on
with the business he had been sent there to do. As
soon as possible Sherman hurried over, full of anxiety
as to the amount of damage done his officer. Nothing

10

146 GENERAL SHERMAN.

would do but that the bandage must come off, so that
he might judge of the damage for himself. The sur-
geon carefully took off the cloths and revealed a slight
gash across the face and a hole through the ear.
Sherman looked for a moment and then dryly said :
" Why, Corse, they came mighty near missing you,
didn't they !"

** Going just Where I Please.'*

Many are the stories told of that march to the sea,
and occasionally the general would tell one himself.
Here is one of his own narration : On one occasion he
had halted for rest on the piazza of a house by the
roadside, when it came into the mind of an old Con-
federate who was present that he might pick up a bit
of valuable information by a little careful quizzing.
He knew by Sherman's dress that he was an officer,
but had no suspicion as to his rank. When he heard
a staff officer use the title of " General" he turned
to Sherman in surprise and said: "Are you a gen-
eral?"

"Yes, sir," was the response.

" What is your name ?"

" Sherman."

" Sherman ! You don't mean General Sherman ?"

"That's who I mean."

" How many men have you got ?"

" Oh, over a million."

"Well, general, there's just one question I'd like to
ask, if you have no objection."

" Go ahead."

INCIDENTS IN HIS LIFE. 147

" Where are youns agoing to go when you go away
from here ?"

" Well, that's a pretty stiff question to ask an entire
stranger under these circumstances, but if you will
give me your word to keep it a secret I don't mind
telling you."

" I will keep it a secret ; don't have no fear of me."

" But there is a great risk, you know. What if I
should tell you my plans, and they should get over to
the enemy?"

" I tell you there is no fear of me."

"You are quite sure I can trust you ?"

"As your own brother."

The general slowly climbed into his saddle and
leaned over to the expectant Confederate, who was
all eyes and ears for the precious information : " I
will tell you where I am going. I am going — just
where I please." And he did, and there was not
enough power in the South to stop him.

The Brave Drummer-Boy.

Sherman never forgot that little drummer-boy who
came to him in the hot fight at the rear of Vicksburg,
and when it came in his power he had the youngster
appointed to the Naval Academy at Annapolis. The
troops were in the heat of the engagement when
Sherman heard a shrill, childish voice calling out to
him that one of the regiments was out of ammuni
tion, and that the men would have to abandon their
position unless he sent to their relief. He looked
down, and cnere by the side of his horse was a mite

148 GENERAL SHERMAN.

of a boy with the blood running from a wound in his

leg.

" All right, my boy," said the general ; " I'll send
them all they need, but as you seem to be badly hurt,
you had better go and find a surgeon and let him fix
you up."

The boy saluted and started to the rear, while
Sherman prepared to give the required order for the
needed ammunition. But he once more heard the
piping voice shouting back at him : " General, calibre
fifty-eight, calibre fifty-eight." Glancing back, he
saw the litde fellow, all unconscious of his wound,
running aeain toward him to tell of the character of
the ammunition needed, as another size would have
been of no use and left the men as badly off as be-
fore. Sherman never could speak too highly of the
little fellow's pluck ; he asked him his name, compli-
mented him, and promised to keep an eye upon him;
which he did. He often related the story, and always
with praises for the little soldier's bravery.

A good story is told of one who was on Kenesaw
Mountain during Sherman's advance. A group of
Confederates lay in the shade of a tree overlooking
the Union camps about Big Shanty. One soldier
remarked to his fellows : *' Well, the Yanks will have
to git up and git now, for I heard General Johnston
himself say that General Wheeler had blown up
the tunnel near Dalton, and that the Yanks would
have to retreat because they could get no more
rations."

INCIDENTS IN HIS LIFE. 149

"Oh, ! " said a listener. "Don't you know

that old Sherman carries a duplicate tunnel along?"

One day, looking back, the men saw a line of
bridges in their rear in flames.

" Guess, Charley," said a trooper, " Uncle Billy has
set the river on fire."

Charley's reply was, " Well, if he has, I reckon it's
all right."

A Capital Host.

General Sherman was always a most delightful
host. His welcome was cordial and hospitable, and
the guests felt at once at ease while realizing the
honor and the privilege of the association. As a
raconteitr he was admirable. He had lived so long,
had seen so much, and had done so much, that the
least suggestion brought forth from him stories that
were both instructive and entertaining. On his
seventieth birthday, which he celebrated by a little
dinner in his home on the evening of February 8,
1890, he said: "Yes, I am seventy years old to-day,
the time allotted for man to live, but 1 can truly say
that I have not felt better at any time within ten
years. Seventy years is a long time, and it seems
a great while since I was a boy. Still, I can recall
incidents that happened when I was not more than
four years of age." His memory was astonishing
in detail and his mind was wonderful in vigor. He
could recall the minutiae of incidents almost from
infancy and throughout his eventful career.

The partiality of the grizzled old war-hero for

150 GENERAL SHERMAN.

ladies' society is well known, and at school reunions
and many such occasions his friendly and cordial
notice of many a rosy miss who had never seen him
before is familiarly remembered.

His love for the theatre was prodigious. He was
deeply interested in all that pertained to the stage,
and he valued certain actors and actresses as his
dearest friends. He used to tell how he had come to
New York when he was sixteen years old, and had
then visited the old Park Theatre, on Park Row,
between Beekman and Ann streets. In those days,
he said, there were great star actors, but the general
average of theatrical people was not high, and the
possibility of an actress being received in social circles
was not considered. He gloried in the change that
had taken place in the interim, and it was a delight
to him to recognize the fact that many of our actresses
to-day might grace any parlor with their presence.
He maintained that it was the duty of all public men
to foster and encourage an institution so worthy as
the stage.

Opinion of Dinners.

In attending public dinners, of which he averaged
far more than any other man of his age. General
Sherman was very particular as to what he ate. He
confined himself on such occasions to the plainest
dishes, and was wont to drink only a little sauterne
or sherry. He never touched champagne, and had
no use for the heavier wines. Of all things, he
abhorred what he called those mixed-up French

INCIDENTS IN HIS LIFE. 151

dishes which might be anything or nothing. " Half
the time," he used to say, '* these concoctions are only
turkey or chicken hash fixed up with some kind of
sauce and called a croquette or something of the kind.
I have no use for them." He had his own theories
about dining both in private and in public.

He disliked exceedingly the prevalent custom of
late dinners. He declared that all private dinners
should be given at such an hour as to enable the
diners to attend the theatre afterward. His great
love for the theatre probably had more to do with
this position than his dislike for late dinners. He also
advocated plain food for public dinners, and deplored
the costliness of modern banquets, declaring that it
was absurd to pay twenty-five dollars a plate for a
dinner. Most people could not eat such dinners, and
those that could paid the penalty of sickness for their
rashness. Fond as General Sherman was of public
banquets, he loved his home better. He was hap-
piest when he could gather about him a choice circle
of intimate friends and entertain them in his own
house.

Birthday iEpisode.

When he attained his seventieth birthday the Union
League Club proposed to honor the event by a ban-
quet to him in its club-house. He thanked them for
the kindness intended, but refused on the ground that
he had arranged and preferred a little dinner in his
own dining-room, which could seat but sixteen people.
And so he told the members of the Union League

152 GENEKAL SHERMAI5.

that they would have to postpone theii proposed ban-
quet or else abandon it altogether. He was going to
dine at home that night, and with him he would have
his brother John, the United States Senator from
Ohio, and General Schotield, General Howard, and
General Slocum, who had been his three division
commanders at the close of the war. It afforded
General Sherman the greatest happiness that these
three distinguished soldiers should be with him that
night, and all in excellent health. Mr. Depew was
very anxious to have General Sherman come around
to the Union League Club that night after the dinner
in his own house, but the general replied to this sug-
gestion: "How can I do that, Chauncey ? I can't
hurry up my guests in order to go to somebody else's
entertainment. You will have to give up this Union
League scheme of yours." And so Mr. Depew sub-
mitted gracefully to the inevitable, but a month later
a grand banquet was given by the Union League in
honor of General Sherman's birthday, and at this ban-
quet were present many of the most noted men in
the United States, all eager to honor the old chieftain.

The General's **Fad."

Thousands of his friends have interesting stories to
tell of Sherman. So democratic were his manners,
and so easy for all sincere travellers was the road to
his heart, that of his friends and admirers, numerous
as they were, each feel as if he had in his particular
custody some bit of history or anecdote of the great
commander which the world could not afford to lose.

INCIDENTS IN HIS LIFE. 153

The general's fondness for kissing pretty girls was
the subject for stories innumerable. How that fond-
ness, which may have been latent in his earlier career,
for all we know, developed with him into a fad in the
satisfaction of which his efforts were untiring, and, it
must be confessed, exceedingly popular, is not gen-
erally known. Here are the facts as related by
himself:

"Some time after Grant was elected President I
went to call on him at the White House. I had been
struck with the number and speed of his horses, and
with the delight it seemed to give him to be in their
company. So I said to him, ' General, fine horses
seem to have become a fad with you.'

" 'Well, Sherman,' said he, *we all must have our
fads these days. It seems to have become the fash-
ionable thing. I have all my life been intensely fond
of good horseflesh. In my youth I hadn't the means
to indulge this fancy. Later in life I had not the
time. Now, when for the first time I have both the
money and the leisure, I am indulging it and enjoying
it to the full.'

Kissing- the Pretty Girls.

" 'Well, general,' said I, 'I suppose I'll have to be
getting a fad myself I never have had one, and if I
have one now I don't know it. Let me see — let me
see : what shall it be ? I have it ! You may drive
your fast horses, and I will kiss all the pretty girls.
Ha ! ha ! that shall be my fad.' "

General Sherman was some years afterward a

164 ©ENERAl. SHERMAN.

guest at Congress Hall, Saratoo^a, where a well-
known lady was a conspicuous ficrure with her dia-
monds and her costumes. Not the least interesting
of her possessions was a very charming daughter
about fifteen years of age, just blushing into the first
beauty of maidenhood, and as plump and as fasci-
nating a little creature as the eye might light upon
in a long day. There was a children's ball that
evening at Congress Hall, and General Sherman,
who seemed to be in an excellent humor, strolled
into the ball-room about the time the music struck
up, in company with the wife of the gentleman who
is the authority for these incidents.

Rebuffed by a Little Maid.

There were scores and scores of pretty young
misses ranged around the walls and waiting for the
dance. As General Sherman, on the arm of his fair
companion, promenaded past this array of juvenile
pulchritude, a smile of unmistakable satisfaction came
to his face, and his eye wandered from one bud to
another with intense and respectful appreciation.
When he reached the young lady referred to, after
having bestowed a series of rattling salutations on
the most attractive little maids, he interrupted his
triumphal progress and reached out his arms to
salute her tempting lips, but she would none of it.

"Thank you, sir," she said with a profound
courtesy. "I cannot kiss any one without my
mother's permission.'*

The general was delighted. '* My dear young

INCIDENTS IN HIS LIFE. 165

friend," he said, with a cordial laugh, "you are quite
right ; but allow me to say that I must insist upon
your continuing to keep this excellent rule of con-
duct. Promise me now that never, as long as you
live, will you kiss any man who is not specially
designated and approved of by your mother."
Whether she did or did not make the promise is
not a matter of history, but the incident was an
exceedingly diverting one to all who witnessed it.

Florida Experiences.

General Sherman and General Carleton, the father
of Henry Guy Carleton, were lieutenants together in
the army under General Harney, the famous Indian
fighter, down in the Seminole War. General Sher-
man's experiences at that time in Florida were a
fruitful source of anecdote in his after life. One story
in particular he told with great gusto of an interview
between himself and a very respectable-looking young
white man taken prisoner by the troops from the
ranks of ''Billy Bowlegs's " disreputable followers.
He said it showed how accident made or marred a
career.

"I said to this young man," General Sherman used
to say, " that it was difficult for me to understand how
he got into such bad company."

"Lieutenant," said he, '' I am here as the victim of
one of the most unfortunate accidents that ever hap-
pened. My father and mother are excellent citizens
of the State of Kentucky, where on the farm near
Paris I spent a happy boyhood. The bright dreams

156 GENERAL SHERMAN.

of my youth were clouded over by an untoward en-
counter with a jackass. That whole region in which
we live was infested by those half-wild 'jacks' which
had been Imported into the State by thousands. Ken-
tucky was the great mule-producer among the States,
and when the old discarded jacks were turned out
worthless we boys used to lasso them and ride them
out into the woods on our expeditions after chestnuts
and walnuts.

" One day I secured the raggedest, longest-eared,
and deepest-voiced brute you ever saw, and hid him in
the smoke-house, intending to start off before day the
next morning on a nutting expedition. Now, I had a
maiden aunt who lived in the family who had a strong
and earnest conviction of the existence of a personal
devil. The Evil One was to her just such an awful
creature as Bunyan showed his to be in his Pilgrhn s
Progress. Down on a farm in Kentucky people get
up before day, anyway, and when my aunt went out
to the smoke-house the next mo:.nJng to get some
bacon to fry for breakfast, it was still pitch dark.

His Sataiuc Majesty.

"As she opened the smoke-house door, she said after-
ward, she saw the horrible face of the arch enemy
himself popped suddenly out at her through the dark-
ness, set off by two long and hideous 'horns.' No
sooner had the jack spied my respected relative than
he broke forth into a series of the most diabolic, ear-
piercing, nerve-tearing hee-haws that ever desolated
the stillness of a country landscepe, My aunt went

INCIDENTS IN HIS LIFE. 157

off into a succession of fits, and when she came to she
swore by all that was holy that she had seen the devil.
I had slept calmly through the whole disturbance, but
the offence was promptly laid at my door, and, enter-
ing my room while 1 was yet asleep, my father wore
out a leather strap on me.

" But for this apparently trivial incident I might to-
day be a respected citizen of the great State which raises
pretty girls, blue grass, mules, and bourbon, for, smart-
ing, under a sense of wrong and the lively application
of the strap, I put two shirts into a handkerchief, and
without waiting to say good-bye, made a bee-line South.
I never stopped until I got into the Florida swamps,
where I have just been taken prisoner."

"Old Bill."

This was a favorite story of General Sherman's, as
showing how a man's whole career could be swerved
by a trifling incident. There is another story which
he used to tell to his intimates which illustrates the
serious side of his mind, and betrays by a touch the
gende and affectionate nature which became toward
the end of his life his most marked characteristic.

" When I went back to Washington," he used to
say, " after the war was over and took part in the grand
review, I was struck during the first day by the dis-
order and confusion in the procession caused by the
antics of some of the fiery chargers ridden by the
officers. On the first day the Army of the Potomac
filed by. Many gallant troopers had changed off their
old war-horses, and that day for the first time rode

158 GENEEAL SHERMAN.

animals unaccustomed to such surroundings. Th^
immense masses of humanity, the blare of the bands,
and the glitter of the landscape in general frightened
these beasts, so that they interfered seriously with the
general effect of the spectacle. The morning of the;
next day, when the Army of the Tennessee was ta
march by in review, my old body-servant came to me
and said :

" * General, what horse do you want to ride to-
day?'"

'-Old Bill,' said I.

" ' Why, general,' said my servant, * Old Bill isn't
the kind of a horse you'd want to ride to-day, sure.<
Why, he's got no life and spirit about him, and won't
make any show at all.'

" Now," continued the general, " that was the very
reason why I wanted to ride old Bill. I knew there
was no nonsense in him. In fact, he might have been
called sheepish. A cannonade itself would not have
excited him, and I was looking out for my own com-
fort, not for display. So that morning I got on the
old charger and rode quietly along through that im-
pressive scene. The old fellow never phazed and ex-
hibited about as much style as a plough-horse. But
we got through very comfortably.

" After passing about one hundred yards beyond
the grand stand I rode old Bill to the sidewalk and
dismounted. He was led away, where I do not know,
and I have never seen the old fellow since. I never
knew what they did with him, and it has always been

INCIDENTS IN HIS LIFE. 159

a genuine sorrow to me that I hadn't been able to
keep him near me during the rest of our Hves."
His Versatility.

Colonel L. M. Dayton, who came on from Cincin-
nati to attend General Sherman's funeral, was eight
years on his staff, serving with him during the entirx:^
war and for nearly five years afterward. The intimacy
of the relations which Colonel Dayton in such a posi-
tion necessarily sustained to the great commander
gave him a peculiar insight into the operations of his
mind. He tells the following story of an incident
which could have happened in the military experience
of no other o-eneral durino- the war, and which illus-
trates admirably the boldness of Sherman's military
operations and the extraordinary foresight with which
he planned out a campaign even beyond what might
seem to many its objective point.
1 "What amazed me most," said Colonel Dayton,
I "was the versatility of that extraordinary soldier.
1 I cannot help but believe that as a general he was
greater than any other the war produced. He
I planned a campaign to its uttermost limit before
j he began active operations. For instance, in the
\ Vicksburg campaign, while General Grant might
not have figured out his movements beyond the
actual capture of that city itself, General Sherman
in his place would have outlined clearly what he
would do with his men after the siege and what
disposition he would make of the baggage and
siege-guns.

160 GENERAL SHEKMA^.

" When we started out from Atlanta on the march
to the sea, nobody knew what our objective point
on the Atlantic coast was, except a few members of
the staff and the authorities at Washington. Every-
body else simply knew that we were going to march
across Georgia to the coast. When General Sherman
reached Savannah — which of course was all alongf
known to the authorities as our objective point —
he was greatly surprised to find that a gunboat
had been despatched down the coast to meet him
there.

"I Won't do Anything of the Kind."

"The captain of this gunboat had succeeded in i
ascending Ossabaw Sound and the Ogeechee River, ,
which lies just back of Savannah, and made instant t
communication with the general. An important i
official document which had been brought down in i
this way was handed to General Sherman in my ,
presence. When he received it he got excited and ]
seemed vexed about something. I noticed his color i|
rising and a look of irritation in his eye, as well as
the nervous motion of the left arm which character-
ized him when anything annoyed him. It seemed,
for instance, as if he was pushing something away
from him.

"'Come here, Dayton,' said he; and we went into
the inner room of the building where he made his
headquarters. As soon as we got inside I could see
that he was greatly opposed to the suggestions that
had apparently been contained in the document.

^^mm

INCIDENTS IN HIS LIFE. 161

*I won't do It/ he would say to himself several times
over — ' I won't do anything of the kind.'

''The document was an official order from Secre-
tary Stanton, approved by General Grant, for General
Sherman to wait with his army at Savannah for trans-
ports which had been sent down the coast to convey
them by sea to the mouth of the James, and then to
ascend that river to co-operate with Grant. General
Sherman had all along Intended to march his army up
the coast across the country, and he sat down at once
and wrote a letter to General Grant explaining to
him why he was opposed to taking a sea-voyage with
his men ; how he thought such an experience would
demoralize them with sea-sickness, confinement in
close quarters and lack of exercise; and how he had
decided to take all the responsibility and march them
up by land in accordance with his original plans.
He said he would be at Goldsboro, N. C., on the
2 1st day of March, 1865, and that If any other orders
were sent to him there, they would reach him
promptly. So closely did he calculate that on the 23d
of March he was In possession of Goldsboro.

" As Sherman had at that time practically an army
of a hundred thousand men, which could easily anni-
hilate any opposition he might meet with on his march,
the wisdom of his course was at once apparent to the
authorities, and no attempt was made to interfere
with his execution of his plans. As a matter of fact
he did encounter Joe Johnston on the way up the
coast and defeated him at Bentonvllle. That, I believe,
u

162 GENERAL SHERMAN.

was his last battle. No other general would have
dared to do what Sherman did in this instance. The
boldness of his military genius and his keen insight
into the future were admirably illustrated by it.

How He met Jennie Lind.

" It was in Florence," he said ; " I received a card to
a miisicale, as they called it, and Jennie Lind sent me
with this card a note saying how much she would feel
honored, and all that. So I went.

" Lord ! but it was awful !

"They lived on the top floor of an old palace.
Jennie Lind looked like a washwoman, and Gold-
schmidt, her husband, was a little black, weazened
fellow. There was a daughter, too, I remember. She
was freckled mighty bad !

" It was an awful time. The refreshments were
ice-cream and jumbles. I got away as soon as I could
— it made my heart ache to remember that woman so
different and see her now so contented with the change.
I'd have jumped out of a four-story window to have
escaped.

" She was a good woman, too," he went on musingly.
"They were very poor at this time. She had spent
all the money she had made in America in Swedish
charities. I think she might better have kept some of
it, anyhow."

Hated to be Photographed.

" My ! how I hate to be photographed," the general
exclaimed one day, ''because in pictures by that pro-
cess I always look stern ; don't like to look stern, My

INCIDENTS IN HIS LIFE. 16S

Tiood is pleasant and friendly to all, though I have
3een told that when I'm in a fight I look like the very
levil. That is because my nature is one that concen-
rates itself, heart and soul, fire and will, into one ter
•ible focus. No half measures for me. I take aftei
ny mother in that."

He tells of a Speech by Grant.

The following characteristic anecdote of General
jrant was told, and illustrated with exquisite humor,
)y General Sherman at a little dinner:

"Grant and I were at Nashville, Tenn., after the
)attle of Chattanooga. Our quarters were in the same
)uildine.

" One day Grant came into the room that I used for
n office. I was very busy, surrounded with papers,
luster-rolls, plans, specifications, etc., etc. When I
:>oked up from my work I saw he seemed a good
eal bothered, and, after standinor around a while
>ith his shoulders thrown up and his hands deep
own in his trousers pockets, he said :

" ' Look here, there are some men here from Galena.'

" ' Well ?' I said.

"Looking more uncomfortable every minute, he
.^ent on:

; " ' They've got a sword they want to give me ;' and,
)oking over his shoulder and jerking his thumb in
1 the same direction, he added :

'* 'Will you come in? '

" He looked quite frightened at the idea of going
) face them alone, so I put some weights on my

164 GENERAL SHERMAN.

several piles of papers to keep them from blowing ;
around, and went into the next room, followed by
Grant, who by this time looked as he might if he'd
been going to be court-martialled. There we found
the mayor and some members of the board of coun-
cilmen of Galena. On a table in the middle of the :
room was a handsome rosewood box containing a ;
magnificent gold-hilted sword, with all the appoint-;
ments equally splendid.

Grant ^Nonplussed.

"The mayor stepped forward and delivered what,
was evidently a carefully prepared speech, setting:
forth that the citizens of Galena had sent him to pre-;
sent to General Grant the accompanying sword, not*
as a testimonial to his greatness as a soldier, but as a;
slight proof of their love and esteem for him as a;
man and their pride in him as a fellow-citizen.

"After delivering the speech the mayor produced
a large parchment scroll, to which was attached by a
long blue ribbon a red seal as big as a pancake, and
on which was inscribed a set of complimentary reso-
lutions. These he proceeded to read to us, not omit-
ting a single ' whereas ' or ' hereunto.' And after
finishing the reading he rolled it up and with great
solemnity and ceremony handed it to Grant.

" General Grant took it, looked ruefully at It, and
held it as if it burnt him. Mrs. Grant, who had been
standing beside her husband, quietly took it from
him, and there was dead silence for several minutes.
Then Grant, sinking his head lower on his chest

INCIDENTS IN HIS LIFE. 165

and hunching his shoulders up higher and looking
thoroughly miserable, began hunting In his pockets,
diving first in one and then In another, and at last
said: 'Gentlemen, I knew you were coming here to
give me this sword, and so I prepared a short
speech ; ' and with a look of relief he drew from his
trousers pocket a crooked, crumpled piece of paper
and handed it to the mayor of Galena, adding, ' and,
gentlemen, here it is! ' "

The Geueral and Mrs. Cleveland.

To those who appreciated General Sherman's
genial nature It Is superfluous to say that he regarded
his extensive acquaintance with the "ladies of the
White House" with peculiar gratification. This he
specially referred to on one occasion when he had
been introduced to Mrs. Cleveland, then but a short
time a bride. The general said :

"The other day, when I was In Washington, I
received a note from Mrs. Endlcott telllnor me that

o

the President and Mrs. Cleveland were to dine at her
house that evening, and begging me to join them. I
wrote her a very polite reply — said I had two or three
engagements I must keep, but if Mrs. Endlcott would
reserve me a place I would slip in quietly and take up
my dinner at the point at which I arrived.

"When I got there they were at the table, and I
found that the seat at Mr. Endlcott's left had been
reserved for me, Mrs. Cleveland being on his right.
Well, we just shoved Endlcott to one side, and sailed
jin and had a good time. After a while the ladies left

166 GENEBAL SHERMAN.

US, and then after a little we went into Endicott*s
room for a smoke. Then, about 11.30, we went up
to the ladies. It was rather late, and very soon Mrs.
Cleveland made a move to go, and of course several
gentlemen surrounded her, helping her with her
wraps; and she turned to me and said very quietly,,
* General, I am very glad to have met you, and I want,
you to come and see me.' I smiled and said, * You
know that such an invitation is a command.' And^
she smiled back and said, ' When will you come ?
To-morrow? Shall we say one o'clock?' Well, I
went, and she came in to meet me plainly and simply
dressed, and was just sweet and girlish — but bright!:
and shrewd !

The Finest L*ady at the White House.

"She wanted to know all about the ladies that have
presided in the White House. I have known 'em
all since Jackson's time, and she made me tell her^
about them. I consider Harriet Lane, Buchanan's
niece, the finest lady that ever did the honors of the
White House, though she was cold and impassive ;
but her tact and suavity of manner were perfect. I
believe Mrs. Cleveland has taken Harriet Lane for
her model, and she is as clever and sweet a lady as
Miss Lane was.

''The sweetest woman I ever met presiding there
was Kitty Taylor, General Taylor's daughter, after-
ward Mrs. Dr. Dandridofe. But none of them was
brighter and more beautiful than Mrs. Cleveland."

Youth and beauty General Sherman loved — indeed,

INCIDENTS IN HIS LIFE. 167

I think the only subject on which I ever heard him
speak with deep regret, says a friend, was that of lost
youth. One day he remarked, " Ah, how I envy the
young their hopes and dreams and aspirations ! I
envy the beggar on the street if he is young — who
can tell what lies before him ? Yes, yes, I know, but
there's no fun in looking back; it's an old story^
you've heard it over and over again, but the future
may hold all sorts of surprises. I went into my club
the other night, and a young fellow came over to me
and said, ' General, I am very proud and happy to
meet you ; you've been a landmark to me all my life.
I've read about you in history.' Lord ! he looked at
me with reverence and bowed down before me, and it
was all I could do to be civil to him. Read about me
in his history, indeed ! as if I were Moses !"

At the time of the death of General Sheridan he
was lamenting the rapid thinning of the ranks of his
contemporaries, and, shaking his head, said sadly^
" There we go, one after another. Grant and Sheri-
dan, and soon, I suppose, I shall join the procession.
Well, that will be the last of the race — there will b^
no generals left when I'm gone."

Excuses for Swearing^.

On one occasion when visiting his sister, Mrs.
Ewing, General Sherman met four or five clergymen,
and his patience was rather severely tried by their
religious discussions, and what seemed to him their
intolerant and one-sided views. One of them chal-
lenged him to offer any excuse for swearing, meeting

168 GENERAL SHERMAN.

him with the clinching statement that there could be
no redemption for blasphemers.

"Were you," inquired the young soldier, *' ever at
sea in a heavy gale, with spars creaking and sails flap-
ping, and the crew cowardly and incompetent?"

" No."

" Did you ever," he continued gravely, " try to drive
a five-team ox-cart across the prairie ?"

" No."

"Then," said Captain Sherman, " you know nothing
of temptations to blasphemy — you know nothing about
extenuating circumstances for blasphemers — you are
not competent to judge?"

Proud of his Mother.

General Sherman was proud of tracing his powers
of endurance to his mother, to whom he also fre-
quently ascribed the heritage of other soldierly cha-
racteristics.

"She married very young," said the general, "her
husband, who was not very much older, being a lawyer
with hope and ambition for his patrimony and all the
world before him where to choose. He chose Ohio,
leaving his young wife in Jersey City while he made
a home for her in what was then a far country, though
now comparatively near.

" Soon as he had made a home for her she went to
him. She rode on horseback, with her young baby in
her arms, from Jersey City to Ohio, the journey oc-
cupying twenty-three days ! What would a New
York bride say to such a journey as that ? I'm afraid

INCIDENTS IN HIS LIFE. 169

she'd want to wait until her husband had made money
enough to have a railroad built for her."

His Methodical Brother.

" Curious," said the general one day, *' to note the
differences in the family ! I've got a brother out in
Wisconsin — cashier in a bank — most methodical man
that ever lived — eats and sleeps by rule. He couldn't
live in one of these New York palaces. He lives in
a nice frame house, and has for twenty years and
more gone and come from his office every day at pre-
cisely the same hour. The people in the town set
their watches by him, and if he were five minutes late
there wouldn't be a correct timepiece within a mile.
He has sat on one seat in his office and hung his coat
on one peg for twenty years, and if anybody gets in
before him and gets off a joke on him by using that
peg, it sours his temper for the whole day."

General Sherman's '* Idolized Soldier-Boy."

WilHe Sherman, when about nine years of age,
went down to Mississippi, where he became a com-
rade and favorite of the Thirteenth regulars, who
formed General Sherman's personal escort. On the
way up the river, after the Vicksburg campaign, he
became ill. October 3, 1863, the brave little fellow
died. October 4, he had a military funeral at Mem-
phis ; at midnight came a letter of thanks from the
general to Captain Smith, commanding battalion, one
of the most touching letters ever written. In the
spring of 1867 the body was removed to St. Louis
and buried in Calvary Cemetery. A beautiful marble

170 GF.NERAL SHERMAN.

monument was erected by the officers and soldiers

of the battaUon.

The above facts suggested the following poem,

a copy of which was sent to the general at his home

in New York. In the battalion the boy was fondly

called :

"Sergeant Willie."

The Thirteenth Regulars, as brave
A regiment as ever gave
Their blood to solder sundered lands,
Of prompt obedience to commands.

Had once a sergeant of the line,

A little fellow aged nine,

Called " Sergeant Willie," Sherman's boy,

His father's pride, his mother's joy.

He — born a soldier — loved the camp;
Of future prowess bore the stamp;
While clinging yet to mother's hand
Had all the air of high command.

The Thirteenth treads to muffled drum;
To some one in its ranks has come
The soldier's fate — to some one small,
Is seen by hearse and little pall.

" Who lies so bravely 'neath the stars,
That wraps a form too young for wars?"

«' Our * Sergeant Willie,' Sherman's boy.
His father's pride, his mother's joy."

"Battalion, halt!" — Battalion, weep.
Your dearest comrade sleeps the sleep
That knows no waking : — Dry your tears,
The brave have e'en in death no fears.

Whate'er was mortal, free from guilt,
Rests in the tomb affection built:
His soul has joined the ranks above,
And found a Heavenly Father's love.

George Mortom.

INCIDENTS IN HIS LIFE. 171

With military promptitude, the following character-
istic letter of acknowledgment was duly sent :

75 West 7ist St., New York, Sept. 9, 1889.

G. H. McCabe, Esq., Philadelphia, Pa. :

My Dear Sir: Please accept for yourself, the
sender, and for Mr. Morton, the author of the poem
"Sergeant Willie," a copy of which is just received,
my heartfelt and grateful thanks. The same, I assure
you, will be preserved in my archives, together with
many other encomiums, mainly from the hands of
members of the old Thirteenth, to which regiment he
was in life so thoroughly devoted.

Very truly yours,

W. T. Sherman, General.

The general's habits of life were simple. He had a
keen sense of the beauty of Nature, and never was
happier than when his camp was pitched in some forest
of lofty pines, where the wind sang through the tree-
tops in melodious measure and the feet were buried
in the soft carpeting of spindles. He was the last one
to complain when the table fare was reduced to beef
and "hard tack," and, in truth, he rather enjoyed
poverty of food as one of the conditions of a soldier's
life. He apologized to his guest, the Secretary of
War, one day at Savannah because certain luxuries,
such as canned fruits and jellies, had found their way
to his table.

" This," he remarked, " Is the consequence of coming

172 GENERAL SHEKMAN.

into houses and cities. The only place to live, Mr.
Secretary, is out of doors in the woods."

This simplicity of taste, which was so perfectly
natural to the general, served well in the campaigns of
the war. It is easily seen that in making long marches
the most fatal clog to successful operations is exces-
sive transportation, and the tendency of the army was
constantly to accretion ; but Sherman reduced bag-
gage-trains to the minimum, and himself shared the
privations of the common soldier.

Unselfish Patriotism.

General Sherman's patriotism was a vital force.
He gave himself and all that he had to the national
cause. Personal considerations never influenced him.
Doubtless he was ambitious, but it was impossible to
discern any selfish or unworthy motive either in his
words or deeds. We do not believe it possible for a
man more absolutely to subordinate himself and his
personal interests than he did. His patriotism was as
pure as the faith of a child, and before it family and
social influences were powerless. His relatives were
the last persons to receive from his hand preferment
or promotion. In answer to the request of one nearly
allied to him that he would give his son a posidon on
his stafl", the general's reply was curt and unmis-
takable :

" Let him enter the ranks as a soldier and carry a
musket a few years."

In all of his pleasant and peaceful old age General
Sherman realized fully the necessary infirmities of in-

INCIDENTS IN HIS LIFE. 173

creasing years and the probability that death might
remove him at any time. The contemplation of death
had no terrors for him. His position in this matter is
best expressed in the reply which he made on his
seventieth birthday to a conventional wish that he
might have many happy returns of the day. He said
then, with a full appreciation of the insecurity of life
as well as of the fact that his race was nearly run, '' I
am too old to hope for many returns of the day. And
then life is so uncertain. Death seems to come now-
a-days without almost any warning, but many a man
has sprung up in readiness when I have had the
trumpets sounded, and I am still a soldier. When
Gabriel sounds his trumpet I shall be ready."

He was, of course, long past the years when a man
can expect vigorous health, and he often spoke about
death, and said he did not expect to be much longer
on the scene of active affairs. He frequently prefaced
remarks about the future by saying, '' If I live " and
"If I am here." Indeed, for a number of years, espe-
cially since the death of his wife, his mind assumed a
melancholy mood. The deaths of Hancock, Sheridan,
and Grant, with whom he was intimately associated,
were to him profound shocks, and had an effect differ-
ent to the philosophical way in which they were
regarded by others.

For some time his hearing had been failing and he
had become quite deaf. This troubled him very much,
as his senses had been phenomenally keen. It pained
him when he could no longer hear the birds sing in

174 GENEKAL SHERMAN.

the Spring or the sparrows twittering in the city, and
friends had to be exceedingly careful not to talk be-
fore him about things he could not hear. It such a
thing occurred he was likely to get up and leave the

room.

The Greatest Soldier.

, How should the greatest soldier die ?

! The winds and seas and hills reply:

At peace ! The horrid front of War
Smoothed by a smile from every scar;
His sword and spear beat into hooks
To prune his vines; among his books;
His armor rusting on the wall;
Friends thicker than the leaves that fall
In Vallombrosa; with a sigh
Of sweet content — thus let him die.

Where should the greatest soldier lie?
The winds and seas and hills reply:
No granite base nor marble pile,
Nor fretted arch nor vaulted aisle,
Nor storied urn nor sculptured stone,
Is worthy, now that he is gone.

In every heart where freedom swells.
In every soul where honor dwells.
Till children in their turn impart
Each memory of soul and heart
To others, who still love to hear
The name of him whom all hold dears
There, of the nation's love possessed,
In peace and honor let him rest.

BOOK 11.

GENERAL SHERMAN'S GREAT
MARCHES AND BATTLES.

CHAPTER XI.

Sherman at the Battle of Bull Run. — His
Graphic Account of the Bloody Conflict.

In the Civil War, General Sherman came into
the military service of the United States as colo-
nel of the Thirteenth regular infantry. At Bull
Run his rank was that of colonel commanding
brigade.

The reader will be interested in his own graphic
description of the part he acted in the first great on-
slaught of the war (July 21st, 1861), which is
herewith given in his own words :

My brigade was composed of the Thirteenth New
York Volunteers, Colonel Quinby ; Sixty-ninth New
York, Colonel Corcoran ; Seventy-ninth New York,
Colonel Cameron ; Second Wisconsin, Lieutenant-
Colonel Peck ; and Company E, Third Artillery, under
command of Captain R. B. Ayres, Fifth Artillery. We
left our camp near Centreville, pursuant to orders,
at half-past 2 a. m., taking place in the column of
Assistant- Adjutant General Baird, next to the brigade
of General Schenck, and proceeded as far as the

176

176 GENERAL SHERMAN.

halt, before the enemy's position, near the stone
bridge across Bull Run. Here the brigade was de-
ployed in line along the skirt of timber to the right of
the Warrenton road, and remained quietly in position
till after lo a. m. The enemy remained very quiet,
but about that time we saw a rebel regiment leave its
cover in our front and proceed in double-quick time
on the road toward Sudley Springs, by which we
knew the columns of Colonels Hunter and Heintzel-
man were approaching.

The Enemy in Sight.
About the same time we observed in motion a large
mass of the enemy below and on the other side of
the stone bridge. I directed Captain Ayres to take
position with his battery near our right and to open fire
on this mass; but Baird had previously detached the
two rifle-guns belonging to this battery, and, finding
that the smooth-bore guns did not reach the enemy's
position, we ceased firing, and I sent a request that
Baird would send to me the thirty-pounder rifle-gun
attached to Captain Carlisle's battery. At the same
time I shifted the New York Sixty-ninth to the extreme
right of the brigade. Thus we remained till we heard
the musketry-fire across Bull Run, showing that the
head of Colonel Hunter's column was engaged.
This firing was brisk, and showed that Hunter was
driving before him the enemy, till about noon, when
it became certain the enemy had come to a stand, and
that our forces on the other side of Bull Run were
all engaged, artillery and infantry.

MA.TOR-OENF.RAL JAMES B, M'PHERSON

SHERMAN AT BULL RUN. 177

Here Baird sent me the order to cross over with
the whole brigade to the assistance of Colonel Hunter.
Early in the day, when reconnoitring the ground, I
had seen a horseman descend from a bluff in our front,
cross the stream, and show himself in the open field
on this side, and, inferring that we could cross over
at the same point, I sent forward a company as skir-
mishers, and followed with the whole brigade, the New
York Sixty-ninth leading.

Hag-gerty Shot from his Horse.

We found no difficulty in crossing over, and met
with no opposition in ascending the steep bluff oppo-
site with our infantry, but it was impossible to the
artillery, and I sent word back to Captain Ayres to
follow if possible, otherwise to use his discretion.
Captain Ayres did not cross Bull Run, but remained
on that side with the rest of the division. Advancing
slowly and cautiously with the head of the column, to
give time for the regiments in succession to close up
their ranks, we first encountered a party of the enemy
retreating along a cluster of pines; Lieutenant-Colonel
Haggerty, of the Sixty-ninth, without orders, rode out
alone and endeavored to intercept their retreat. One
of the enemy, in full view, at short range, shot Hag-
gerty, and he fell dead from his horse.

The Sixty-ninth opened fire on this part}^ which
was returned; but, determined to effect our junction
with Hunter's division, I ordered this fire to cease,
and we proceeded with caution toward the field where
we then plainly saw our forces engaged. Displaying

}2

17a GENERAL SHERMAN.

our colors conspicuously at the head of our column,
we succeeded in attracting the attention of our friends,
and soon formed the brigade in the rear of Colonel
Porters.

Here I learned that Colonel Hunter was disabled ]
by a severe wound, and that General McDowell was ^
on the field. I sought him out, and received his ■
orders to join in pursuit of the enemy, who was falling i
back to the left of the road by which the army had I
approached from Sudley Springs. Placing Colonel 1
Quinby's regiment of rifles in front, in column by /•
division, I directed the other regiments to follow in i!
line of battle, in the order of the Wisconsin Second, ,j
New York Seventy-ninth, and New York Sixty-ninth. ;

Quinby's Brave Advance.

Quinby's regiment advanced steadily down the hill 1
and up the ridge, from which he opened fire upon the ^j
enemy, who had made another stand on ground very ;!
favorable to him, and the regiment continued ad- ,
vancing as the enemy gave way, till the head of the
column reached the point near which Rickett's battery
was so severely cut up, The other regiments de-
scended the hill in line of battle under a severe
cannonade, and, the ground affording comparative
shelter from the enemy's artillery, they changed di-
rection by the right flank, and followed the road before
mentioned. At the point where this road crosses the
bridgG to our left front the ground was swept by a
most severe fire of artillery, rifles, and musketry, and
we saw, in succession, several regiments driven from

180 GENERAL SHEEMAN.

it ; among them the Zouaves and battalion of marines. f
Before reaching the crest of this hill the roadway wasi'
worn deep enough to afford shelter, and I kept the
several regiments in it as long as possible ; but when
the Wisconsin Second was abreast of the enemy, byi
order of Major Wadsworth, of General McDowell's'
staff, I ordered it to leave the roadway by the left flank,i
and to attack the enemy.

Wisconsin Second Repulsed.

This regiment ascended to the brow of the hllli
steadily, received the severe fire of the enemy, re-e
turned it with spirit, and advanced, delivering its fire
This regiment is uniformed in gray cloth, almost iden-[
tical with that of the great bulk of the Secession)
army, and when the regiment fell into confusion andi
retreated toward the road, there was a universal cry-
that they were being fired on by our own men, Thei
regiment rallied again, passed the brow of the hill a
second time, but was again repulsed in disorder. By
this time the New York Seventy-ninth had closed up,
and in like manner it was ordered to cross the browol
the hill and drive the enemy from cover.

It was impossible to get a good view of this ground.
In it there was one battery of artillery, which poured
an incessant fire upon our advancing column, and the
ground was very irregular, with small clusters of pines
affording shelter, of which the enemy took good ad-i
vantage. The fire of rifles and musketry was very
severe. The Seventy- ninth, headed by Its colonel,
Cameron, charged across the hill, and for a short time

ii

SHERMAN AT BULL UVU. 181

the contest was severe ; they ralHed several times
under fire, but finally broke and gained the cover of
the hill.

This left the field open to the New York Sixty-
ninth, Colonel Corcoran, who in his turn led his regi-
ment over the crest, and had in full open view the
ground so severely contested ; the fire was very
severe, and the roar of cannon, musketry, and rifles
incessant ; it was manifest the enemy was here in
great force, far superior to us at that point. The
Sixty-ninth held the ground for some time, but finally
fell back in disorder.

Federals thrown into Confusion.

All this time Quinby's regiment occupied another
ridge to our left, overlooking the same field of action
and similarly engaged. Here, about half-past 3 p. m.,
began the scene of confusion and disorder that cha-
racterized the remainder of the day. Up to that time
all had kept their places, and seemed perfectly cool
and used to the shell and shot that fell, comparatively
harmless, all around us ; but the short exposure to an
intense fire of small-arms at close range had killed
many, wounded more, and had produced disorder in all
of the battalions that had attempted to encounter it.
Men fell away from their ranks, talking and in great
confusion.

Colonel Cameron had been mortally wounded, was
carried to an ambulance, and reported dying. Many
other officers were reported dead or missing, and
imany of the wounded were making their way, with

182 GENERAL SHERMAI^.

more or less assistance, to the buildings used as hos
pitals on the ridge to the west.

We succeeded in partially re-forming the regiments,
but it was manifest that they would not stand, and I
directed Colonel Corcoran to move along the ridge to
the rear, near the position where he had first formed
the brigade. General McDowell was there in person,
and used all possible efforts to reassure the men. By
the active exertions of Colonel Corcoran we formed
an irregular square against the cavalry which were
then seen to issue from the position from which we
had been driven, and we beo^an our retreat toward the
same ford of Bull Run by which we had approached
the field of battle.

Retreat toward Centreville.

There was no positive order to retreat, although
for an hour it had been going on by the operation of
the men themselves. The ranks were thin and irreg-
ular, and we found a stream of people strung from
the hospital across Bull Run and far toward Centre-
ville.

After putting in motion the irregular square in
person, I pushed forward to find Captain Ayres's
battery at the crossing of Bull Run. I sought it at its
last position, before the brigade had crossed over, but
it was not there ; then passing through the woods
where, in the morning, we had first formed line, we
approached the blacksmith's shop, but there found a
detachment of the Secession cavalry, and thence made
a circuit, avoiding Cub Run Bridge, into Centreville,

SHERMAN AT BULL BUN. 183

where I found General McDowell, and from him
understood that it was his purpose to rally the forces
and make a stand at Centreville.

But about nine o'clock at night I received from
General Tyler, in person, the order to continue the
retreat to the Potomac. This retreat was by night
and disorderly in the extreme. The men of different
regiments mingled together, and some reached the
river at Arlington, some at Long Bridge, and the
greater part returned to their former camp at or near
Fort Corcoran. I reached this point at noon the next
day, and found a miscellaneous crowd crossing over
the aqueduct and ferries. Conceiving this to be
demoralizing, I at once commanded the guard to be
increased and all persDns attempting to pass over
to be stopped. This soon produced its effect; men
sought their proper companies and regiments. Com-
parative order was restored, and all were posted to
the best advantacre.

I Our loss was heavy, and occurred chiefly at the
point near where Rickett's battery was destroyed.
Lieutenant-Colonel Haggerty was killed about noon,
before we had effected a junction with Colonel Hunter's
division. Colonel Cameron was mortally wounded

i leading his regiment in the charge, and Colonel

, Corcoran has been missing since the cavalry charge

\ near the building used as a hospital.

i Lieutenants Piper and McQuesten, of my personal
staff, were under fire all day, and carried orders to
and fro with as much coolness as on parade. Lieu*

184 GENERAL SHERMAN.

tenant Bagley of the New York Sixty-ninth, a volunteer
aide, asked leave to serve with his company during the
action, and was among those reported missing. I
had intelligence that he was a prisoner and slightly
wounded.

" Colonel Coon of Wisconsin, a volunteer aide, also
rendered good service during the day."

Lincoln's Humorous Reply.

They were all back near Georgetown by July 23d,
and made preparations to defend their position against
the Confederates, who they were certain were at
their heels. Sherman about this time had trouble with
some of his ninety-day men, who wanted to return
home. Mr. Lincoln visited the camp one day, when
one of the officers stepped up to the President's car-
riage, in which Sherman was seated with him, and
said : " Mr. President I have a cause of erievance.
This morning I went to speak to Colonel Sherman,
and he threatened to shoot me." Mr. Lincoln repeated
interrogatively the words, ''Threatened to shoot
you ? " — " Yes, sir, he threatened to shoot me." Mr.
Lincoln looked at him and then at Sherman, and
bending his tall, spare form toward the officer, said to
him in a loud stage-whisper, that could be easily heard
at some distance, " Well, if I were you, and he threat-
ened to shoot, I would not trust him, for I believe he
would do it." The officer disappeared amid the
laughter of all who were around.

During the anxious August days after the battle of
Bull Run, while Sherman was drilling and disciplining

GENERAL SHERMAN AT THE OUTBREAK OF THE WAR.

18(

186 GENERAL SHERMAN.

the raw regiments under him and getting ready to do
his part in repulsing the attack that was almost hourly
expected, he received a note from General Robert An-
derson asking him to call on him in Washington.
Anderson explained that the Administration was be-
coming alarmed about Kentucky, where matters were
rapidly approaching a grave crisis. The Legislature
was in session, and was ready, as soon as supported
by the General Government, to take measures that
would keep the State in the Union. It had been de-
termined, therefore, to organize a new military depart-
ment, to be known as the Department of the Cum-
berland, and to embrace Kentucky, Tennessee, etc.

Critical Situation in Kentucky.

Anderson said he had been offered the command,
had accepted it, and wanted help. The President
agreed that he should select four of the brigadiers,
and he wanted Sherman to be one of them and to be
his right-hand man. Anderson had been the captain
of Sherman's company In the old Fort Moultrie, and
knew his splendid abilities as a soldier. The other
brigadiers selected for the new department by Ander-
son were Thomas, D. C. Buell, and Burnslde. Sher-
man always wanted to go West, and he was rejoiced
to be given the chance to go with Anderson, whom he
so much admired and esteemed.

The situation in Kentucky at this time was exceed-
ingly critical. The State was threatened with invasion
by two forces — one from the direction of Nashville,
under the command of Albert Sidney Johnston and

SaMMAN AT BULL IttlN. 187

Buckner, and the other from tlie direction of the
Cumberland Gap, under the command of Generals
Crittenden and ZoUIcoffer. Anderson saw that the
force at his disposal was not sufficient to fight these
two columns, and he sent Sherman to Indianapolis
and Springfield to confer with the governors of Indiana
and Illinois and ascertain what assistance they could
give. Sherman found Governor Morton busily en-
gaged equipping regiments and sending them East
to McClellan or to Fremont in Missouri. These two
generals were then looked upon as the great soldiers
who were to put an end to the war and restore the
Union. Governor Yates in Illinois was as active as
Morton, but the new troops were all going to Fre-
mont or McClellan.

Sherman was not very successful in obtaining help
for Kentucky, and he resolved to go to St. Louis and
lay the situation before Fremont in person. When
he succeeded in obtaining admission to Fremont,
which was a work of no small difficulty, owing to the
number of guards with whom he surrounded himself,
the Western commander was courteous enough, but
Sherman could do nothinof with him In furtherance of
his mission. He returned to Louisville. The city
was In the greatest state of excitement. The Legis-
lature had resolved to adhere to the Union, and John-
ston had invaded the State, advancing as far as
Bowling Green, which he began to fortify. Buckner
was despatched by him with a division toward Louis-
ville. Zollicoffer entered the State and advanced as

188 GENERAL SHERMAN.

far as Somerset. Columbus was In possession of Gen-
erals Polks and Pillow, and General Grant, on the
other side, had moved from Cairo to Paducah.

In a few hours the news came that Buckner was
rapidly marching on Louisville. All the troops An-
derson had to oppose him were Rousseau's division
and a few home-guards in Louisville. Sherman was
sent out with Rousseau's force to seize Muldraugh's
Hill, back of Elizabethtown. As fast as troops reached
Louisville they were sent to Sherman, and toward the
beginning of October he had a division of two brigades.
Anderson in Louisville was rapidily breaking down
under mental strain and worry, and relinquished the
command. Sherman, as senior, had to fill his place,
but he did not desire to serve except in a subordinate
capacity. The War Department replied that Briga-
dier-General Buell would soon arrive from California
to relieve him. Sherman in the mean time went
vigorously to work raising troops, but it was not an
easy matter. The young men, as a rule, sympathized
with the South, and the old men wanted to stay at
home and defend their property. He succeeded,
however, in materially strengthening General George
H. Thomas and Brigadier-General A. D. McCook,
commanding respectively at Camp Dick Robinson and
Elizabethtown.

CHAPTER XII.

Events preceding the Battle of Shiloh. —
Rapid Movements in the Cumberland Val-
ley and South-west. — Capture of Island
No. 10.

The fall of Fort Donelson, February i6, 1862,
completely broke up the line of defence stretching
from Bowling Green to Columbus — a line of defence
which the Confederates fondly imagined to be in-
vulnerable. It carried the whole Union front forward
two hundred miles. It had the immediate effect of
driving the insurgents completely out of Kentucky.
It threw them back into the centre of Tennessee, and
brought the capital of that State under Union au-
thority. It practically unbound both the Cumberland
and Tennessee rivers — an immense gain to the Union
commanders, as they fully appreciated the great ad-
vantage of gunboats on those inland rivers.

There can now be no doubt in any mind at all
familiar with the subject that the Union victories at
Forts Henry and Donelson were rendered compar-
atively easy by the bad management of the Confed-
erate commander-in-chief Had General Johnston,
in place of attaching so much importance to the pro-
tection of the two forts on the Tennessee and the
Cumberland respectively, concentrated his various

m

190

BEFORE THE BATTLE OF SHILOH.

191

armies and forced either Grant or Biiell or both to
risk the chances of battle in the open ground, the
result might have been very different. Johnston saw
this himself when it was too late, and in a remarkable
letter addressed from Murfreesboro to Jefferson
Davis, he said, '' If I join this corps to the forces of
General Beauregard, then those who are declaiming
against me will be without an argument." It was the
best he could do under the circumstances.

Bowling Green had been evacuated before Fort
Donelson fell; for, beheving it to be untenable, John.

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE.

i5ton had moved on toward the south. Nashville was
:hrown into a perfect panic by the report of the
:apture of Donelson, and as Johnston had declared

192

GENERAL SHERMAN.

MAJ.-GEN. D. C. BUELL.

that he fought for that city while endeavoring to save
this fort on the Cumberland, the capital of Tennessee
fell an easy prey to the troops of General Buell. Six
days after the capture of Nashville, General Halleck t

telegraphed to General Mc-
Clellan from St. Louis, "Co-
lumbus, the Gibraltar of the ■
West, is ours and Kentucky )
is free. Thanks to the bril-
liant strategy of the campaign i
by which the enemy's centre (
was pierced at Forts Henry j
and Donelson, his wings iso- •
lated from each other and (
turned, compelling thus the i
evacuation of his stronghold of Bowling Green first, l
and now Columbus."

Driven from all these strongholds, it became neces- ^
sary for the Confederates to select some defensive
position farther to the south. In obedience to in-
structions from Richmond, Polk fell back some miles,
still clinging to the shores of the Mississippi, and es-
tablished himself at Island No. lo and at New Madrid.
Attack on Island ^NTo. lO.
These places, although fortified with great strength,
Island No. lo particularly having had the special at-
tention of General Beauregard and being deemed the
most impregnable of all the posts on the Mississippi,
the Confederates were compelled in succession tc
evacuate, The attack on Island No, lo reflected the

COMMODORE FARRAGUT,

BEFOKE THE BATTLE OF SHILOH. 193

highest credit on the skill of the Union commanders
and on the bravery of the Union troops. It was not
until a canal had been cut across
Donaldson's Point, between Is-
land No. 8 and New Madrid, that
the Nationals had any hope of
dislodging the enemy.

The canal was twelve miles
long and fifty feet wide, and
nineteen days were consumed
in cutting it from point to point

1 1 • ' ♦ U1 r ^l- ADMIRAL FOOTE.

and makmg it navigable for the

largest of the gunboats. Commander Foote reported
to his Government that Island No. lo was "harder to
conquer than Columbus, its shores being lined with
forts, each fort commanding the one above it."

Beauregard telegraphed to Richmond that the
National guns had *' thrown three thousand shells
and burned fifty tons of gunpowder," his batteries
being uninjured and only one man killed. The canal
made a complete change in the situation„ New
Madrid had been evacuated on the I2th of March,
and on the 8th of April, four days after the com-
pletion of the canal, Island No. lo had ceased to be
a Confederate stronghold.

Federal Victory.

The defenders of the batteries had fled in con-
fusion, but they were pursued by Pope and compelled
to surrender. The garrison on the island, learning
what had taken place, and believing the situation to

1^

GENERAL 8HEKMAN.

be hopeless, sent a flag of truce to Commander Foote,
offering to surrender. The immediate fruits of victory
were some seven thousand prisoners, including three
generals and two hundred and seventy field and
company officers, one hundred heavy siege-guns,
twenty-four pieces of field artillery, a large quantity
of ammunition, several thousand stands of small-arms,
with tents, horses, and wagons innumerable. ''No
single battle-field has yet afforded to the North such
visible fruits of victory as have been gathered at
Island No. lo." Such was the language used by the

ISLAND NO. 10.

high officials at Richmond. The Mississippi was now
open as far south as Fort Pillow.

While these events were following each other in
rapid succession in Middle Tennessee and Western
Kentucky, successes of a scarcely less substantia^
kind were attending the National arms in Arkansas,
in the grand movement, conducted by Curtis, SigeL

BEFORE THE BATTLE OF SHILOH.

195

nnd others, down the Mississippi Valley toward the
Gulf. Early in February the Confederate general
Price had been compelled to retreat from Missouri
into Arkansas.

The Old Flag" in Arkansas.

On the 1 8th of that month he was closely followed

by the Nationals under General Samuel R. Curtis of

iowa. On the same day joy

was created throuehout the
<_>

Union by a telegram sent by
General Halleck to General
McClellan. "The flag of the
Union," said Halleck, " is float-
ing in Arkansas. The army of
the South-west is doing its duty
nobly." Curtis foresaw, how-
, ever, that he was certain soon
to be taken at a disadvantage,

las the Confederates in retreating had really been
^falling back upon reinforcements. He therefore took
post upon Sugar Creek. His entire force consisted
of twelve thousand five hundred men, with forty-nine
guns. The enemy, under General Earl Van Dorn,
a dashing Confederate officer, was at least twenty
thousand strong.

On the morning of the 7th of March the two
Armies came into collision, and fierce fighting con-
in ued throughout the day.

There had been much previous manoeuvring, and
n consequence of a skillful and successful flank

MAj.-GLN. H. W. HALLECK.

196

G-ENERAL SHERIilAN.

movement made by Van Dorn, Curtis was compelled,
almost at the last moment, to change his front.
Carr's Division Driven Back.
When the struggle began the First and Second
divisions, under Sigel and Asboth, were on the
left, the Third, under Davis, was in the centre, and
Carr's Fourth division formed the right. The line ex-
tended between three and four
miles, from Sugar Creek to
Elkhorn Tavern. On the op-
posite side of a ravine called
Cross-Timber Hollow the Con-
federate line was stretched out ;
before them, with Price on the ;
right, Mcintosh In the centre, ,'
and McCulloch on the left.
The attack fell heavily upon
Carr's division, which during the course of the day ,
was driven back nearly a mile, but was not disor- '
ganlzed.

An attempt was made by McCulloch, by a move-
ment of his force to the left, to join Van Dorn and
Price In their attack on Curtis's right. To arrest
this movement, Sigel pushed forward three pieces
of artillery, with a body of cavalry to protect and
support them. The cavalry were immediately over-
whelmed and the guns captured. Davis hurried to
the assistance of Sigel ; a desperate struggle followed,
victory oscillating like a pendulum, the Nationals and
Confederates recoiling and recovering alternately ; ul-

GEN. STERLING PRICE.

BEFORE THE BATTLE OF SHILOH. 197

timately, however, the Confederate right was broken
and routed, and among those left on the field were
Generals McCulloch and Mcintosh, mortally wounded.
At the close of the fighting on
the 7th, Price was on the Fay
etteville road, in Curtis's rear.
Van Dorn had his headquar-
ters at Elkhorn Tavern. On the
right the National army had been
defeated ; it was cut off from its
line of communication ; its pro-
visions were all but exhausted, major-general f. sigel.
The Confederates, however, had

been defeated on their right and nearly driven from
the field During the night the Confederates united
their forces on the ground held by their left wing. A
change was also effected in the National line, Davis
taking the right, Carr the centre, and Sigel the left.

A Federal Victory.

At sunrise the battle was resumed, Sigel opening
a heavy cannonade and advancing round the enemy's
right, Davis at the same time turning the enemy's left.
It was a daring and skilful movement, and had all the
effects of a surprise. All at once the Confederates
found themselves exposed to a destructive cross-fire.
I They made a brave resistance, but in two hours, such
was the precision and rapidity of Sigel's gunners, they
were in full retreat through the defiles of Cross-
Timber Hollow.

Thus ended what is known as the battle of Pea

198 GENERAL SHERMAN.

Ridge. In the two days the Nationals lost over thir-
teen hundred rnen. The Confederate loss must have
been oreater. This battle had no direct connection

o

with the movements more immediately under con-
sideration. It did not result from the fall of Forts
Henry and Donelson. It did not in any way affect
the impending struggle at Pittsburg Landing.

But inasmuch as the movements of the army under
Curtis were part of Halleck's general plan, as that
plan contemplated quite as much the opening of the
Mississippi from Cairo to the Gulf as the driving of
the enemy out of Kentucky and Tennessee, and as
the battle of Pea Ridge was noted for skill on the part
of the officers and bravery on the part of the men, it
has been deemed wise, the more especially as it
occurred simultaneously with the events now under
review, to give it a place in these pages, which are in-
tended to be preliminary to the most gigantic effort
yet made on either side since the commencement of
the war.

The Popular Favorite.

After the fall of Donelson it was only natural that
General Grant should, for a time at least, become the
popular favorite. All over the Union his praises
were liberally sounded, and by not a few who had ac-
quired an insight into his character he was hailed
already as the coming man. His sphere of action had
been greatly enlarged. General Halleck, as if to
mark his appreciation of Grant's noble services, had
assigned him to tiie command ot the new district of

BEFORE THE BATTLE OF SHILOH.

199

West Tennessee, a command which extended from
Cairo to the northern borders of Mississippi, and em-
braced the entire country between the Mississippi
and Cumberland rivers.

General Grant took immediate steps to turn to ac-
count the victories which he had won and to press
the enemy still farther to the south. He established
his headquarters at Fort Henry, where General Lewis
Wallace was in command. We have seen already

MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE:

that Foote's flotilla was withdrawn from the Cumber-
land, that part of it had gone up the Tennessee River,
and that Foote himself, with a powerful naval arma-
ment, had gone down the Mississippi for the purpose

200 GENEBAL SHERMAN.

of co-operating with the land troops against Colum-
bus, Hickman, Island No. lo, and New Madrid.
General C. F. Smith in Command.

It seems to have been the conviction of all the
Union commanders — of Halleck, of Buell, of Grant —
that a lodorment should be made at or near Corinth in
Northern Mississippi. The possession of Corinth or
Florence or Tuscumbia, but particularly Corinth,
vv^ould o-ive the National forces control of the Mem-
phis and Charleston railroad, the key to the great
railway communications between the Mississippi and
the East, as well as the border slave States and the
Gulf of Mexico.

It would facilitate the capture of Memphis, because
it would place it more completely at the mercy of the
troops now moving down the Mississippi ; and it
would render effective assistance to General Curtis^
who, as we have seen, was at this moment carrying
on important operations in Arkansas. While adopt-
ing vigorous measures for the purpose of giving effect
to the general plan. Grant had the mortification to
receive an order from Halleck instructing him to turn
over his command to General C. F. Smith and to
remain himself at Fort Henry.

Grant Humiliated.

In such circumstances such an order must have
been humiliating in the last degree to General Grant,
and it is not surprising that, stung to the quick as he
must have been, he should have asked to be entirely
relieved from duty. As a general rule, it is unwise

BEFORE THE BATTLE OF SHILOH. Tfl

to attach too much importance to individuals in a
great national contest. No one man is absolutely in-
dispensable. It is undeniable, however, that the
retirement of General Grant at this particular junc-
ture might have materially affected the future history
of the great national struggle, now fairly begun and
already bearing upon it somewhat of the impress of
his character and genius.

The story of this short-lived difficulty is easily told.
Complying with a request for an interview, Grant had
on the 27th of February gone on a visit to Buell, up
the Cumberland to Nashville. In the mean time, Hal-
leck had ordered him to ascend the Tennessee, then
in full flood, and establish himself on the Memphis
and Charleston railroad at or near Corinth. On the
1st of March, Halleck ordered him to fall back from
the Cumberland to the Tennessee, with the view of
carrying out the orders previously given. It was sup-
posed at this moment that the Confederates had re-
treated to Chattanoocra.

Halleck's Complaints.

Sherman meanwhile received orders to seize all
steamboats passing Paducah, and to send them up the
Tennessee for the transportation of Grant's army,
On hearing that Grant had gone up the Cumberland,
Halleck telegraphed to him, "Why don't you obey
my orders? Why don't you answer my letters?
Turn over the command of the Tennessee expedition
to General C. F. Smith, and remain yourself at Fort
Henry." At the same time, Halleck wrote complain-

202 GENERAL SHERMAN.

ingly to McClellan at Washington, saying he could
get no reports from Grant, whose troops were demor-
alized by their victory.

To Grant himself Halleck wrote, statinor that his re-
peated neglect of positive orders to report his strength
had created great dissatisfation and seriously inter-
fered with the general military arrangements, and that
his going to Nashville when he ought to have been
with his troops had given such offence at Washington
that it had been considered advisable to arrest him on
his return.

Grant's Conduct Explained.

It is possible that, judging by the highest forms of
military law. Grant in some of the particulars charged
was to blame. It is possible, too, that Halleck, who
was a man of the old school and strict to the letter
©f the law, was officious overmuch. Grant, however,
had his explanation ready. He had not received
Halleck's orders in time ; he had gone to Nashville
for the good of the service, and not for personal plea-
sure or for any selfish motive ; he had reported every
day, had written on an average more than once a
day, and had done his best to obey orders from head-
quarters ; he had not permitted his troops to maraud ;
on the contrary, he had sent the marauders on to St.
Louis. He submitted to instructions by turning the
army oi^er to General Smith. He asked, however,
that he miaht be relieved.

The explanations so far satisfied Halleck that he
requested the authorities at Washington to allow the

BEFORE THE BATTLE OF SHILOH.

203

matter to drop. Smith, however, remained in com-
mand, but, as the reader will soon discover, only for a
brief period.

A Splendid Pageant.

The temporary change of commanders did not al-
low any intermission of the work. The expedition up
the Tennessee was hurried forward. An acquisition
was found in Sherman, who, in compliance with orders
from Halleck, reported to
Smith. It was not many days
until seventy transports, carry-
ing over thirty thousand troops,
were ready to move to the

point agreed upon. As the ^^^^^^B^H^^^
boats steamed up to Savannah,
where the depot of supplies
was established, bands playing
and banners flying, it was per-
haps the most splendid pageant
seen since the commencement of the war. On the
nth of March the greater portion of the army was
debarked at Savannah in perfect safety.

General Lewis Wallace, with his division, disem-
barked on the west bank of the river at Crump's
Landing, about four miles above Savannah, and took
post on the road to Purdy. His instructions were to
destroy the railroad bridge in the immediate neighbor-
hood of that village. This was a hazardous under-
taking, for the Confederates, as was afterward learned,
ATere lying close at hand ; but it was successfully ac-

MAJ.-GEN. LEW. WALLACE.

204 GENERAL SHERMAN.

complished, and that, too, under the inconvenience
and discomfort of a series of heavy thunderstorms.
A Confederate train approached while the bridge
was burning, and narrowly escaped capture by re-
versing the engine. Sherman was ordered by Smith
to take his own division and the two gunboats Tyler
and Lexington, to proceed farther up the river, and
Lo strike the Memphis and Charleston railroad.

Sherman's Coinniand in Peril.

Sherman went up as far as Tyler's Landing, at the
mouth of Yellow Creek, just within the borders of I
Mississippi, but the roads were so flooded by the
heavy rains that he found it impossible to reach the !
railroad. Had the enemy known his opportunity,
Sherman's division might have been cut to pieces;
for it was with the utmost difficulty, and not until i
many men and horses had perished in the swollen
streams, that he got back to his boats.

On his way up the stream Sherman made one im-
portant discovery. On passing Pittsburg Landing
the gunboats were fired upon by a Confederate regi-
ment. It had already become known that the Con-
federate army was concentrating at Corinth, and that
two batteries were already posted in advance — one
at Eastport, the other just above the mouth of Bear
Creek.

Sherman learned that a road led from Pittsburg
Landing to Corinth ; he conveyed the information at
once to Smith, and declared it to be all-important,
in his judgment, that Pittsburg Landing should be oc-

BBFOEE THE BATTLE OF SHTLOH. 205

cupied. The advice was taken and the place became
sacred — the name immortal.

After a personal examination of the ground, Smith
was satisfied that Sherman's advice was sound ; and
Hurlbut was ordered to occupy Pittsburg Landing,
while Sherman was directed to bring his division on
the ground, but to take a position out from the river,
leaving space enough behind him, as Smith put it,
" for a hundred thousand men."

CHAPTER XIII.

Sherman Saves the Battle of Shiloh. — Valley j
of Death. — A Wall of Iron. — Grant Praises :
Sherman's Heroism.

Pittsburg Landing is about eight or nine miles ;
above Savannah, and lies on the west side of the <
Tennessee. The river-banks at the landing rise (
about eighty feet, but are cloven by a number of I
ravines, through one of which runs the main road
to Corinth to the south-west, and branching off to
Purdy to the north-west. The landing is flanked on i
the left by a short but precipitous ravine. On the (
right and left are Snake and Lick creeks, streams
which rise near each other and gradually diverge,
falling into the Tennessee some four or five miles
apart on either side of the landing. Between these
streams, which form a good flanking arrangement,
making attack possible only in the front, lies a
plateau or table-land rising some eighty feet high,
of irregular surface, cleared near the shores, but
covered with tall oaks and thick brushwood farther
from the river.

Abuut three miles from the landing, and embowered
in trees, stood a little log building — a place used
occasionally by the Methodists for holding camp-
meetings. It had neither doors nor windows, and

BATTLE OF SHILOH. 207

was only half-floored. Some corn in the husk lay
piled on the floor. This was Shiloh Church, destined
to give its name to the neighborhood and to the
bloody contest which was so soon to disturb its quiet
surroundings.

Sherman's Guard of Eight Thousand.

The illness of General Smith, which resulted in
death on the 25th of April, brought Grant again
to the front. On the 17th of March he arrived at
Savannah, established his headquarters at the house
of Mr. Cheney, and assumed the command. He
found the army already in position, and made no
radical changes. The landing was guarded by the
gunboats Tyler and Lexington. Sherman's division,
eight thousand strong, formed a sort of outlying
force, covering all the main roads leading to the
landing. There was a gap between his centre and
his right, and a still wider gap of about two and a
half miles between his centre and his left. Hurlbut's
division was put in line on the left of the main Corinth
road, and Smith's own division, under General W. H.
L. Wallace, was on Hurlbut's right.

Lewis Wallace's division was detached and sta-
tioned at Crump's Landing, to observe any move-
ments which might be made by the Confederates at
Purdy and to cover the river communications between
Pittsburg Landing and Savannah. McClernand's
division was about a mile in front of W. H. L.
Wallace, with that of Prentiss to his right. These
two divisions — that of McClernand and that of Pren-

2d8

GENERAL- SHERMAN.

tiss — formed the real line of battle. The entire force
was about thirty- three thousand men. In estimating
the possible strength of the Union army the aid
which might come from Buell must be taken into
account.

Buell on the March.
This general, after repeated solicitations that he
might be permitted to abandon Nashville, cross Ten-
nessee, and join his forces to those of Grant with a
view to counteract the Confederate concentration at
Corinth, had at last obtained Halleck's consent. The
Army of the Ohio, which numbered some forty thou-
sand men, was therefore already on its march, and by
the 20th of March it had reached Columbia. The
roads were bad and the weather stormy in the ex-
treme ; but it was not unreasonable to conclude that

Buell would be able to accom-
plish the distance in time.
Should this large increase of
strength arrive before the com-
mencement of hostilities. Grant
could have but small reason for
any misgivings as to the issue
of the contest.

Let us now glance at the po-
sition of the Confederates and
consider their plans and their
prospects. When the first line of the Confederate
defence had been swept away by the capture of Fort
Doneison, Johnston retired first of all to Murfreesboro;

GEN. P. G. T. BEAUREGARD.

%^ IVxv^li^Y^^^^^^' '^

GENERAL SHERIDAN

•VATePS SDA/A/.t.

MAP S}«)WH>IG PITTSBURG LANDING AND CORINTH.
14 209

210

GENERAL SHERMAN.

but the great object aimed at both by him and Beau-i
regard was to concentrate the Confederate forces and
establish a second Hne of defence on the Memphis and
Charleston railroad. Concentration had for some time
past been the favorite idea of Beauregard. If his
advice had been taken in time, Donelson might not
yet have fallen. Beauregard selected Corinth as thei
most desirable point for concentrating the scattered
forces of the Confederacy. Here the two great
railroads which connect the Gulf of Mexico andi
the Mississippi with the Adantic Ocean form a junc-i
tion. It is the key of the railroad system of Missis-:
sippi.

A Great Military Camp.
Orders were issued to the commanders of all the
outlying positions, and Beauregard was soon joined
by Bragg from Pensacola, by Polk from Mississippi,
Johnston also coming up with
his entire army from Murfrees-
boro. Corinth therefore became
a great military camp, and in ad-
dition to its other advantages it
afforded complete protection to
Memphis. In three weeks the
Confederate strength had risen
from eleven thousand to forty-
five thousand men. This, how-
Van Dorn and Price were known
to be coming up from Arkansas with other thirty
thousand men.

GENERAL B. BRAGG.

ever, was not all.

BATTLE OF SHILOH. 211

Since the commencement of the war the Confed-
erates never found themselves in circumstances
more favorable for striking a bold and decisive
blow. After the junction with Johnston that general
took the command, Beauregard being nominally
second, but remaining really the soul of the move-
ment.

It had been the intention of Halleck, under whose
instructions the entire movement on the part of the
Nationals was conducted, to intervene between John-
ston and Beauregard. When, therefore, he heard
that Johnston had disappeared from Murfreesboro,
and that his object was to join Beauregard at Corinth,
he ordered Buell to hurry forward to the aid of Grant
and counteract, as far as possible, the Confederate
concentration.

Confederate Forces United.

There had been unnecessary delay, which permitted
the Confederate generals to unite their strength ; and
now the weather and the roads were such that, al-
though Buell's army was at Columbia on the 20th, it
took full seventeen days to reach Pittsburg Landing,
a distance of only ninety miles.

To the Confederate general two questions presented
themselves: Shall I wait for Van Dorn and Price? or
shall I strike Grant at once, before Buell has time to
come up ? At this time Breckenridge, with the Con-
federate right, which consisted of eleven thousand
men, was stationed at Burnsville ; Hardee and Bracror,
with more than twenty thousand men, formed the

21.2

GENEKAL SHERMATT.

LIEUTENANT-GENERAL PuLK.

centre at Corinth ; and Polk and Hindman, with ten \

thousand men, were on the
left, to the north of the Mem- \
phis and Charleston railroad. '
Johnston, on assuming com-
mand, had issued a flaming,
proclamation. '* You are ex-
pected," he said to the sol- 1
diers, " to show yourselves :
worthy of your valor and(
courage, worthy of the women i
of the South, whose noble '
devotion in this war has never been exceeded in any;,
time." !

The Foe Advancing.

On the 3d of April their available strength being j
forty thousand men, the Confederates commenced 1
their onward march. Their plan was first to destroy
Grant and then to fall with all their weight on Buell.
The roads were in a terrible condition, and in conse-
quence the progress made was slow. It was intended
to attack the National army on the 5th, but the attack
was delayed in consequence of a heavy rainstorm
which fell in the afternoon. They were the less un-
willing to delay the attack by reason of information
having just reached them that the troops from the
West, under Van Dorn and Price, would certainly join
them the next morninof.

That night they were distant from the National pickets
only about three-quarters of a mile. Hardee was in

ti

BATTLE OF SHILOH.

213

MAJ.-GEN. BRECKKN-
RIDGE.

front; Bragg was in a second line behind ; Polk was be-
hind Bragg; and Breckenridge brought up the rear.
During the course ol the even-
ing a council of war was held.
There was a disposition to wait
for Van Dorn and Price. But
ihere was peril in waiting. If
Buell should arrive, Johnston
would lose his golden oppor-
tunity. It was the general
conviction that their forward
movement was unknown to
Grant, and, after a consultation
of some two hours it was resolved to strike a blow be-
fore dawn of the coming day. *' Gentlemen," said
Beauregard at the close of the council, while pointing
in the direction of Grant's army, " we sleep in the
enemy's camp to-morrow night."

Sherman at the Front,

The Confederate generals made a mistake in sup-
posing that Grant was ignorant of the fact that they
were moving forward upon him with the view of
making an attack. That the enemy was massed at
Corinth he was well aware, but he was in the enemy's
country, and information was not v/illingly obtained
irom the people of the neighborhood. That he ex-
pected to be attacked is proved by the instructions
which he gave to his officers, particularly to Lewis
Wallace and Sherman.

But he had no means of knowing the enemy's

^u

GENEEAL SHERMAN.

Strength. He did not know that concentration was i
taking place so rapidly, and a vague idea prevailed in
the Union camp that the force opposed to them did
not exceed ten thousand men. Of the forward march

ABATTIS.

of the enemy he could not be ignorant, for on the 4th
an infantry picket belonging to Colonel Buckland's
brigade having been captured, Sherman took that
brigade, with some cavalry, and drove back the Con-
federate horsemen some six miles from the front of
the camp, taking good care not to expose his com-
mand to any sudden assault.

The firlnor of cannon was heard in the evening. On
the same day Lewis Wallace reported eight regiments
of infantry and twelve hundred cavalry at Purdy, and
an equal force at Bethel. It is not to be denied, how-

BATTLE OF 8HIL0H. 21fl

ever, that Grant was in doubt from what direction
the onslaught would be made. They might attack
his main camp, or they might cross over Snake Creek
to the north and west of him, establishing themselves
on the Tennessee below, and forcing him to fight or
cross to the east side of the river. Grant had his
feelers out all around, and, as the result proved, he
did best to risk a batde on the ground which had been
\ chosen and on which he stood.

An Eventful Day.
The uncertainty which prevailed in the Union camp
as to the point which might first have to bear the
' shock of batde proved an immense gain to the Con-
j federates. It enabled them to mass themselves in
i great force and fall with destructive effect on one part
I of the Union line. So great, indeed, was the advan-
\ tage which they thus obtained that the wonder is not
= so much that victory leaned to their standards during
the greater part of the first day's fighting, but that
they did not succeed in a few hours in completely
, sweeping the Union army from the field.
1 Their plan was to penetrate the Union centre, di-
vide the army in two, and cut it up in detail. This
' done, it would not be difficult to make short, sharp
work with Buell. The plan was good enough, but in
their calculations the Confederate generals made one
mistake : they did not take into account the cool pluck
: and skill of tlie Union commanders and the stern
courage and determination of the Union men.
The night of the 5th was, as we have seen, wild

216 GENERAL SHERMAN.

and stormy. The next morning (Sunday) rose brightii
and clear. The recent rains, while they had filled thei
creeks and streams, had given an air of freshness to
the surrounding country. The breath of spring was
everywhere. The trees were robed in the most deli-
cate green and the sweet, rich voices of the morning
songsters filled the air with melody. In the Union
camp it was still unknown toward what point the
enemy might be moving, but there was watchful-
ness everywhere. Prentiss's grand guards had been
doubled the night before and his pickets were out one
mile and a half.

Sherman's troops had already breakfasted, and
were formed into line. With the early dawn Har-
dee's corps, which formed the first Confederate line,
was in motion. Quickly but silently they passed
across the ravine of Lick Creek and the ground
which separated it from the outlying divisions of the
Union army. It was the more easy for them to move
noiselessly because the fallen leaves, being soaked
with rain, made no rustling sound under the footsteps
of the men.

The Terrible Onset.

The onslaught was tremendous. Avalanche-like, it
overcame all resistance. The Union outposts were
driven like chaff before the wind. On Hardee
moved, falling heavily on Sherman's left, and then,
as if rebounding from that firm phalanx, his endre
force rolled with resistless and crushing weight upon
Prentiss's division. The fierce yells of the charging

BATTLE OF SHILOH. 217

regiments, the sharp shrill sounds of musketry,
the booming- of cannon, the bursting of shells, the
crashing of timber, and the clouds of sulphurous
smoke which filled the woods too plainly told that the
batde of Shiloh had begun.

When the first shots were fired. Grant, unfortu-
nately, was not on the ground. He had gone down
the river to Savannah, some nine miles off, to have
an interview with Buell. Soon as he heard the first
guns he hastened to the scene of action. Leaving a
letter for Buell, and ordering Nelson, who had arrived
with a portion of Bu ell's forces, to hurry forward, he
took a steamboat for Pittsburg Landing. Halting at
Crump's Landing, he gave directions to Lewis Wal-
lace to follow at once, unless it should turn out that
the firing they heard was intended to deceive and
that the real attack was to be made upon him. lit
the latter event he was to defend himself to the
utmost, and to rely with confidence on reinforcements
being sent him with the least possible delay. The
attack had been made ac the first streak of early

dawn.

i

Grant on tfee Field.

It was eight o'clock befcre Grant reached the field
of Shiloh. He saw that he had to fight the combined
Confederate force, and without the aid of Buell.
iWhat the Confederate strength was Grant could
only guess. We know chat the combined army was
over forty thousand strong. Grant had an available
orce of thirty-three thousand men. He beheved he

218 GENKKAL SHERMAN.

could depend upon Lewis Wallace, who had five
thousand more. Some severe work, however, hadj
already been done.

There was a considerable gap between Prentiss's
right and Sherman's left. It was into this gap that
Hardee tried to force himself, his object being to out-
flank and turn both lines. In the beginning of thei
conflict Sherman's left, as we have indicated, wasi
sorely pressed and suffered terribly.

Sherman in the Thick of the Fig^ht.

But that active and skilful general was present ini;
the thickest of the fight, and by his cheering words
and personal bravery, as well as by the admirablel
manner in which he handled his men, he laid that day thei
foundation of a fame which the American people willi
not willingly let die. Hildebrand's brigade, which hadi
been driven from its position by the first onset of the
enemy, Sherman tried in vain to rally. While thus
engaged he received a severe bullet-wound in the
hand. Nothing, however, could daunt his energy or
induce him to relax his efforts. McClernand pushed
forward a portion of his troops to aid the smitten Hil-
debrand, and these for a time bore the shock of
batde.

All, however, was in vain. In poured the Confed-
erates in ever-increasing numbers. Bragg had come
to the aid of Hardee, and Polk, with the third Con-
federate line, was already moving toward Sherman's
rear. By nine o'clock a very large portion of Sher-
man's division was virtually out of the fight, and before

BATTLE OP SHILOH. 219

ten Prentiss had been forced from his ground, his camp
captured and plundered, his division thrown into con
fusion, and he himself isolated from his men.

Pluck and Strategy.

But for the pluck and skill of Sherman the battle
at this stage might have been lost, although it cannot
be said that there was any lack of bravery on the
part of any of the Union divisions. Officers and men
everywhere vied with each other in deeds of daring.
But Sherman showed strategy as well as pluck. Feel-
ing the pressure of the enemy, and in danger of being
caught in the rear, he swung round upon his right as
ipon a pivot, coming out at a right angle and taking
entirely new ground. Here he took a firm position
ind held it tenaciously for several hours, the repeated
md vigorous attacks of the enemy falling upon the
iiolid front of his well-arranged battalions as upon a
lihield of shining steel.

The falling back of Sherman, while it enabled him
o prolong the contest and successfully to prevent at-
ack in the rear, left McClernand's division completely
;xposed. On this, therefore, the Confederate forces
ell with tremendous energy. For a time McCler-
land boldly and even successfully resisted, most
effective aid being rendered by Dresser's powerful
ifled cannon. Regiment after regiment of the Con-
sderates rushed through the abandoned camps and
ressed forward, only to be cut to pieces by the deadly
ifle-shot, displaying magnificent courage and the
lost reckless daring.

H

1

220 GENERAL SHERMAN.

Ultimately, however, the force of overwhelming
numbers began to tell on McClernand's Hnes. He
was forced to retire, not, however, except in the most
perfect order, fighting as he went and bravely con-
testing every inch of ground. By eleven o'clock this
division was on a line with Hurlbut, close to W. H
L. Wallace, with Sherman to the right.

Stewart in Iiniiiinent Danger.

Meanwhile, Stewart's brigade of Sherman's div
ion, which was posted on the extreme left of
National line, about two miles from Pittsburg Land-i
ing, on the Hamburg road, near Lake Creek, where
Buell was expected to land, was, in consequence of
the falling back of the other divisions, in an extremely
perilous position. The screaming of a shell in its
passage through the branches of the trees overhead
apprised Stewart of the approach of the enemy in his
direction.

It turned out to be a column of cavalry and infantry,
composed for the most part of Breckenridge's re-
serves. They were moving along the road leading
from Corinth to Hamburg. Notifying W. H. L
Wallace of his difficulty and calling for aid, he calmly
awaited the attack. It was fiercely made and gal-
lantly resisted. Wallace sent Mc Arthur to the aid of
Stewart, but McArthur missed his way, and came di-
rectly on the Confederates under Withers. It was
impossible for Stewart to maintain his position ; but
so vigorously did McArthur engage the enemy that
Stewart managed to avoid capture, and succeeded in

BATTLE OF 8HIL0H. 221

reaching a place of comparative safety, where he

;'estored his shattered force to something like

order.

Three Divisions Routed.

The battle had raged since the early morning. It
ivvas fiercest about ten o'clock. There was but little
ntermission, however, until two. About ten Grant
/isited Sherman's camp, and, finding that the supply
Df cartridges was short, he organized a train of ammu-
hition-wagons to run between the camp and the land-
ing— an arrangement beset with great difficulty in
:onsequence of the large number of fugitives who
ivere forcing their way through the narrow road. By
welve o'clock, noon, the Confederates had possession
)f the ground occupied in the morning by the first
ine of the National army, and the camps of Sherman,
McClernand, Prentiss, and Stewart had been captured
ind plundered. Three of the five divisions of that
(irmy had been completely routed.
\ The ground being entirely cleared before them —
Prentiss's brigade, as we have seen, being demolished,
ind Stewart having been compelled to retreat, Mc-
Clernand, too, and Sherman having both yielded on
he right — the Confederates, apparently resolved to
i)ush matters to a crisis, rushed with tremendous fury
ipon Hurlbut, who still maintained his original posi-
ion, and who had been joined by Prentiss and some
wo thousand of his men. W. H. L. Wallace flew to
he aid of Hurlbut, taking with him the Missouri
)atteries of Stone, Richardson, and Webber.

222 ©EJfEEAL SHERMAN.

Heroic Wallace.

Hurlbut, who had hitherto been in the open field
now fell back into the woods which lay between hi
camp and the river, and there, nobly aided by Wa
lace, who fought like a hero of old, gallantly resiste
the foe for several weary hours. Upon this compac
body of National troops, who knew that if they ha
death in front they had certain death in the rea
three most desperate charges were made as if upo)
a wall of iron.

In one of these encounters General W. H. L. Wa"
lace fell mortally wounded. Mc Arthur took the con)
mand, but in spite of their best efforts both he am
Hurlbut were compelled to retire a little farther dowi
and toward the river. In the confusion Prentiss an^
his company, getting isolated, were captured, sent t
the Confederate rear, and finally marched to Corint
as prisoners of war.

The situation now seemed desperate. It was be
tween three and four o'clock. Sherman and McClei
nand, all but utterly exhausted and having lost man;
of their guns, had fallen back and taken a position ii
front of the bridge which crosses Snake Creek. I
was over this bridge that General Lewis Wallace wa
momentarily expected to come.

Unaccountable Delays.

Grant had been pressed into a corner of the battle
field, his army at this time occupying a space of no
more than four hundred acres on the very verge o
the river. As yet there were no signs of Wallace

BATTLE OF SHILOH. 223

nor any explanation of his delay. Buell, too, had
failed to come to time. Five of the Union camps had
been captured, and many guns and prisoners had
fallen into the enemy's hands. Fatigue and disorder
had done and were still doing their terrible work.
Cooped up in this narrow corner of the field, with the
triumphant enemy in front and the dark rolling waters
o( the Tennessee in the rear — death before and death
behind — what more can Grant do ? Will he surrender ?
No ! The word had no place in his system of tactics.
The Confederates, however, were less strong than
they seemed. Success had broken their ranks, and
the hard work of the day had produced its natural
fruit. The men were completely worn out. Some of
their best men had perished.

Death of General A. S. Johnston.

Generals Gladdon and Hindman had been killed,
and at about half-past two o'clock, when pressing his
men toward the landing and almost recklessly expos-
iing himself, Commander-in-chief Johnston received a
rifle bullet in the leg, which proved fatal. There was
a lull in the fight after Johnston fell, but Beauregard
assumed command, and the struggle for the posses-
sion of Pittsburg Landing was resumed with fresh
energy. Beauregard felt that there was no time to
lose, for night and Buell were coming.

The entire strength of the Confederate army was
•at this stage being pressed against the National left.
It seemed to be the object of Beauregard to turn
'the National line or force it into the river. In any

224 GENEEAL SHEEMAN.

case, he was determined to seize the landing. Hap-
pily, as the result proved, a deep ravine lay between
the Confederates and the Nationals, who, cooped up as
they were, still covered the landing. This ravine was
impassable for artillery and cavalry. In consequence
of the heavy rains the bottom was wet and the sides
slippery. The ravine led down to the river, and at
its mouth the two gunboats, Tyler and Lexington,
had taken position, their commanders having obtained
permission from General Grant to exercise their dis-
cretion in shelling the woods and sweeping the ravine.
A Deadly Battery.

On the brow of his side of the ravine General
Grant had hastily flung up some earthworks in the
form of a half-moon. To several siege-guns which
were parked there Colonel Webster, Grant's chief of
staff, added a number of guns which had belonged to
light batteries, now broken up, and thus secured a
semicircular defence of about fifty cannon. This
hurriedly-improvised battery reached round nearly to
the Corinth road. The wretched condition to which
the Nadonal army had been reduced may be gathered
from the fact that it was with the utmost difficulty
men could be got to work the guns.

The men were exhausted and demoralized. Volun-
teers were called for, and Dr. Cornyn, surgeon of the
First Missouri Artillery, having offered his services,
his example was quickly followed. The Confederate
assault was led by Chalmers, Withers, Cheatham,
Ruggles, Anderson, Stuart, Pond, and Stevens. It

15

GENERAL h E. B. STUART.

aft>

226 GENEEAL SHERMAN.

was a perilous attempt, but It was bravely made.
Down the steep sides of the ravine they rushed,
uttering their favorite and familiar cry, and with
their accustomed dash and fury.

Critical Moment.

For a moment it seemed as If all was lost, and as l
if Beauregard was about to crown the day's work by >
a final crushing blow. But no ! It was destined to '
be otherwise. The slippery sides of the ravine and i
the slush and mud at the bottom greatly hindered <
the movements of the attacking party. Once in the
deadly hollow, there was literally no way of escape.
At a signal given Webster's guns from their fifty
mouths opened fire in front, while the Tyler and '
Lexington, striking the Confederates on the flank, >
swept the ravine with their eight-inch shells.

It was now a most unequal contest. The Con-
federates had fallen into a trap. Every onward
movement was vigorously repulsed. The National
troops began to rally, and, finding position, con-
tributed to the work of destruction by the unerring
aim of their rifles. Again and again, and yet again,
did the Confederates face the terrible fire, rushing
across the ravine as If they would storm the battery
in front, but it was only to be mowed down like
grass or driven back like sheep. The ravine was
filled with the wounded and the dead. So dense
was the smoke that the entire scene was wrapped
In almost midnlorht darkness — a darkness relieved
only by the swift-recurring rifle flash and the cannon's

BATTLE OF SHILOH. 227

laze. It was a virtual hell — a real, a veritable valle>
T death itself.

Union Troops Hold the Field.

The tide had turned. The crisis was past. Beaure-
:,ird, seeing that it was useless to prolong the strug
|e, withdrew his men. He professed himself satis-
fed with what he had done, and, as it was near night-
:,11, he thought he might rest for the night and give
lie finishing touch in the morning. The firing now
cased, and Grant was left master of the ground,
before the close of the struorale, Nelson, with Buell's
dvance, had arrived on the field, and Lewis Wallace,
|iving at last found his way, was coming up with his
l^e thousand men. For the National cause the first
('ly at Shiloh had ended not ingloriously, and with
tese fresh accessions of strength the prospect was
Hght for the coming day.

The dreary hours of the night were sufficiently
fled with horrors. The gunboats kept up an inces-
5-nt cannonade, in some places setting the woods on
fje. The wounded on both sides vainly sought to
^cape from the grasp of this new and terrible de-
sroyer. Happily, a heavy rainstorm fell upon the
"ene of agony and the fire was extinguished.

The Two Commanders Consulting.

[Shortly after the firing had ceased Grant visited
herman, and as it was the opinion of both that the
(pnfederates were exhausted, it was agreed that the
c.tack should be resumed early in the morning
hbsequently, Grant visited each of the division com-

228 GENERAL SHERMAN.

manders, giving the necessary instructions, and the
flung himself on the wet ground and snatched a fe^
hours' rest, with his head resting on the stump of
tree. During the night Lewis Wallace came up aaj
Buell arrived in person. All night through stean
boats kept busily plying between Savannah and PitU
burg La^ading, bringing up the remaining divisior'
of Buell's army. Nelson's division was all on to
field by nine o'clock r. m. Crittenden's arrived a litt
later, and by five in the morning McCook's divisio
which was the last to come up, having had to wait f(
boats, ivas all safely disembarked. Twenty-sev(
thousar\d men were thus added to the National arm

Second Day at Sliiloli.

With the early light of the morning of the yt,
which r'ame in with a drizzling rain, the troops wei
in position and ready to make the attack. The frei
troops were placed in line as they came upon the fie .
considf.rably in advance and upon the ground aba-
doned by Beauregard after the failure of his ht
attack. Nelson was on the left, then in order Ci*
tenden, McCook, Hurlbut, McClernand, Sherman, a I
Lewis Wallace. Thomson of Wallace's division, w:i
his field-guns, was the first to disturb the silence of t^
morning and to awaken the echoes of the forest.

The response was vigorous, but the fresh troops
Wallace stood bravely to their work. At this momet
Grant arrived, and ordered Wallace to press forwal
and attack the Confederate left under Bragg, w3
since the death of Johnston was second in commai •

BATTLE OF SHILOH. 229

This was gallantly done, the Confederates being com-

, pelled to abandon the high ground, which was soon

I occupied by Wallace's troops. Here a halt was made,

Wallace expecting Sherman to come to his aid.

I Booming- Ouiis;

; Meanwhile the two armies had come into collision

at the other extremities of their Hnes. From what has

(been said above it will be seen that Buell's f&rce^

■ which lay nearest to Pittsburg Landing, composed

the centre and left of Grant's new line of batde. The

divisions of Nelson and Crittenden only were ready

when Wallace's guns were heard booming to the

, right. They moved forward at once, Nelson's division

leading. Their artillery had not yet arrived, but the

.batteries of Mendenhall and Terrill of the reo^ular ser-

vice were placed at their disposal.

Nelson had moved half a mile at least before he
felt the enemy. At the first touch he seemed to yield,
but it was only for a moment. At this point Beaure-
gard had gathered up his strength and was resolved
to strike a deadly blow. If he could turn the National
left he might still accomplish his purpose of yesterday,
and make himself master of the landinor. His on-
slaught was tremendous. For a second Nelson's
troops wavered, but it was only for a second. Men-
denhall's battery was hurried into action, and the
advancing Confederates were driven back in confusion
,by a tempest of grape and canister. Hazen's brigade
charged, captured one of Beauregard's batteries, and
,turnf:d It with deadly effect on the foe. Once mor«

230 GENERAL SHERMAK.

the Confederates came up with redoubled strengtl
and Hazen fell back before the advancing tide.

The Famous "Brass Twelves."

Terrill's battery of McCook's division was now gc
into position. Pouring forth shell from his terj
pounders and grape and canister from his bra^
twelves, Terrill did splendid and effective work. Fo
two hours the artillery conflict raged. Crittende;
was on Nelson's right, and McCook was to the righ'
of Crittenden, fronting the Confederate centre. Bue
had taken general command of his own troops. Th
terrible artillery duel began to tell on the Confederal,
line. Nelson, becoming more daring, began to movij
forward. Crittenden and McCook advanced abreaa
at the same time, but every inch of ground wa
keenly contested, and victory, now leaning to one sid
and now to the other, seemed undecided as to whic
to award the palm.

Sherman's captured camp was still in the Coi
federate rear, and to this as an objective point th
National line kept slowly but steadily advancing
Sherman and Wallace, carrying out Grant's instrui
tions to the letter, have advanced under a terribl
fire and have reached the ridge occupied by th
former on Sunday morning.

Tempest of Battle.

The little log church in Shiloh has again becom
a conspicuous object in the battle-field. Around
the tempest of battle is again to rage. Beauregan
despairing of success on the left, had, by countei

BATTLE OF SHILOH. 2»^1

marching his troops, greatly strengthened himself in
front of the enemy's right. The struggle at this
point was protracted and severe. Sherman and
Wallace held their ground, and it soon became
apparent that Beauregard's strength was all but
exhausted.

At the same time that the Confederate general
had concentrated his troops against the National
right he did not neglect an opportunity which seemed
to present itself more toward what might be called
the National centre. Noticing a slight gap between
Crittenden and McCook, he endeavored to force a
passage between them. Here he made his last effort,
his last decided stand. It was all in vain. McCook's
division stood like a wall of irc>n.

Th^ Confederates Routed.

The Confederate centre now began to yield. All
alonof the line, from Nelson on the left to Sherman
and Wallace on the right, the Nationals were press-
ing forward. Everywhere the enemy was seen
retiring. " Cheer after cheer," says Wallace, " rang
through the woods, and every man felt that the
day was ours." The battle of Shiloh was ended.
" Don't," said Beauregard to Breckenridge, as he
ordered a retreat — *' don't let this be converted into
a rout."

It was now half-past five o'clock, and the wearied
National troops being in no mood to pursue the foe,
the retreat was the more easily conducted. The two
days' fighting had resulted in the loss of over twenty

232 GENERAL SHERMAK.

thousand men — the Confederate killed and woundec
amounting to more than ten thousand, the Nationals
to nearly twelve thousand.

General Halleck only did what was right when h(
thanked Generals Grant and Buell "and the officen
and men of their respective commands for the braver)
and endurance with which they sustained the genera
attack of the enemy on the 6th, and for the heroic
manner in which on the 7th they defeated and routec
the entire rebel army."

Why Wallace was Delayed.

Lewis Wallace was greatly blamed for his non-ap
pearance on the field of battle on the 6th. It was no
difficult, however, for that brave officer, who did sucl"
effective work on the 7th, to give sufficient and satis
factory explanations. He had, it appeared, obeyed hie
first orders, which were that he should join the righi
of the army, but, not knowing that it had fallen back
he had wasted the whole afternoon in a fruidese
march.

There has been much useless discussion as to how
much Grant was indebted to Buell for the victory al
Shiloh. What did happen we know. What mighl
have been we cannot tell. That Grant was large!)
indebted to Sherman for this brilliant victory his own
despatches show, confirmed by the deliberate state-
ments in his Memoirs. Some of the facts of the case
are plain, and admit of no double interpretation.

During the greater part of Sunday the Confeder-
ates marched triumphantly from point to point The

BATTLE OF SHILOH. 233

Nationals were driven back entirely from their origi-
nal ground ; five of their division camps were overrun
and captured; and Grant, with his whole army, was
pressed into a corner of the field. The situation was
desperate. One blow more and it seemed as if Beau-
regard would reap a glorious victory. Of all this
there can be no doubt.

A Desperate Strugg-le.

It is as little to be denied, however, that at the last
moment Grant snatched victory from his triumphant
rival. The advancing Confederates were not only
successfully resisted, but driven back in confusion
and compelled to give up the struggle. All this
Grant accomplished before any effective assistance
arrived from Buell. It would simply be absurd to
deny that the arrival of reinforcements — which, in-
cluding Wallace's division, amounted in all to twenty-
seven thousand men — made victory on the following
day comparatively more easy. But we are not at
liberty to say that, without the aid of Buell, Grant
might not have accomplished his purpose and driven
the enemy from the field. We simply cannot tell.
We know that both Grant and Buell did their best,
and that their best was needed.

From earliest dawn till half-past five in the after-
noon the battle raged without intermission. It was
no easily-won victory; and if praise is due to the
Union commanders, justice compels us to be equally
generous to General Beauregard. If for the moment
we could forget the cause, and think only of the skill

234 GENERAL SHERMAN.

and heroism displayed, we should say that on those
two days he covered himself with glory. In Beaure-
gard the Union commanders found a foeman worthy
of their steel. He was by far the ablest general who
had yet appeared In the Confederate ranks.
Too Late for New Plans.
There Is one other point on which It Is necessary to
make a remark before closing this chapter. It Is to be
borne In mind that Grant was not responsible either
for the selection of the battle-ground or for the dis-
position of the troops. Whatever praise or blame re-
sulted from the one or the other was due to General
C. F. Smith. When Grant was restored to the chief
command of the Army of the Tennessee, it was only
a few days before the commencement of the fight, and
any attempt to make radical changes in the arrange-
ments, carried out, as these must have been. In the
presence of a vigilant and powerful enemy, would
have been perilous In the extreme. If the battle of
the 6th had ended differently, General Grant might
have been justified in making some complaint as to
the circumstances in which he found the enemy on
resuming command. As it was, his mouth was shut.
He showed himself a true man by nobly respecting
the memory of General Smith — a capable commander
and a brave man.

Sherman's Magnificent Deeds.

In his personal Memoirs, General Grant pays the
following splendid tribute to Sherman: *' During the
whole Sunday I was continuously engaged In passing

BATTL15 OV SHILOH. 235

from one part of the field to another, giving directions
to division commanders. In thus moving along the
line, however, I never deemed it important to stay
long with Sherman. Although his troops were then
under fire for the first time, their commander, by his
constant presence with them, inspired a confidence in
officers and men that enabled them to render services
on that bloody battle-field worthy of the best of
veterans. McClernand was next to Sherman, and the
hardest fiorhtincr was in front of these two divisions.
McClernand told me on that day, the 6th, that he prof-
ited much by having so able a commander supporting
him. A casualty to Sherman that would have taken
him from the field that day would have been a sad one
for the troops engaged at Shiloh. And how near we
came to this ! On the 6th, Sherman was shot twice,
once in the hand, once in the shoulder, the ball cutting
his cost and making a slight wound, and a third ball
passed through his hat. In addition to this he had
seven I horses shot during the day."

CHAPTER XIV.

General Sherman's Graphic Description of the !
Battle of Shiloh.

We cannot do the reader a greater favor than to i
insert General Sherman's very interesting account of '
the important part acted by himself and his division [
in the celebrated battle of Shiloh. It is a plain state-
ment of facts, free from all self-laudation, and was :
written at " Camp Shiloh, April lo, 1862." General!'
Sherman's narrative is as follows :

On Friday, the 4th inst., the enemy's cavalry drove :
in our pickets, posted about a mile and a half in ad-
vance of my centre on the main Corinth road, captur-
ing one first lieutenant and seven men ; I cuused a
pursuit by the cavalry of my division, driving them
back about fiVQ miles and killing many. On Satur-
day the enemy's cavalry was again very bold, coming
well down to our front; yet I did not believe they
designed anything but a strong demonstration. On
Sunday morning early, the 6th inst., the enemy drove
our advance-guard back on the main body, when I
ordered under arms all my division, and sent w^ord to
General McClernand, asking him to support my left;
to General Prentiss, giving him notice that the enemy
w^as in our front in force ; and to General Hurlbut,

236

SHERMAN'S DESCRIPTION. 237

asking bim to support General Prentiss. At that
time — 7 A. M. — my division was arranged as follows :

First brigade, composed of the Sixth Iowa, Colonel
J. A. McDowell ; Fortieth Illinois, Colonel Hicks ;
Forty-^ixth Ohio, Colonel Worthington ; and the Mor-
ton br.ttery. Captain Behr, on the extreme right, guard-
ing the bridge on the Purdy road over Owl Creek.

Second brigade, composed of the Fifty-fifth Illinois,
Colonel D. Stuart ; the Fifty-fourth Ohio, Colonel T.
Kilby Smith ; and the Seventy-first Ohio, Colonel
Mason, on the extreme left, guarding the ford over
Lick Creek.

Third brigade, composed of the Seventy-seventh
Ohio, Colonel Hildebrand ; the Fifty-third Ohio, Colo-
nel Appier ; and the Fifty-seventh Ohio, Colonel
Mungen, on the left of the Corinth road, its right
resting on Sniloh meeting-house.

Fourth brigade, composed of the Ibeventy-second
Ohio, Colonel Buckland ; the Forty-eighth Ohio,
Colonel Sullivan ; and the Seventieth Ohio, Colonel
Cockerill, on the right of the Corinth road, its left
resting on Shiloh meeting-house.

Two batteries of artillery — Taylor's and Water-
house's — were posted, the former at Shiloh, and the
latter on a ridge to the left, with a front fire over
open ground between Mungen's and Appier s regi-
ments. The cavalry, eight companies of the Fourth
Illinois, under Colonel Dickey, were posted in a large
open field to the left and rear of Shiloh meeting-
house, which I regarded as the centre of my position.

238 GENEKAL SHERMAN.

The Fire Opens.

Shortly after 7 a. m. with my entire staff I rode
along a portion of our front, and when in the open
field before Appier's regiment the enemy's pickets
opened a brisk fire upon my party, killing my orderly,
Thomas D. Holliday, of Company H, Second Illinois
Cavalry. The fire came from the bushes which line
a small stream that rises in the field in front of Ap-
pier's camp and flows to the north along my whole
front.

This valley afforded the enemy partial cover, but
our men were so posted as to have a good fire at
them as they crossed the valley and ascended the
rising ground on our side.

About 8 P. M. I saw the glistening bayonets of
heavy masses of infantry to our left front in the
woods beyond the small stream alluded to, and be-
came satisfied for the first time that the enemy de-
signed a determined attack on our whole camp.
Hot Work along- the Whole Line,

All the regiments of my division were then in line
of battle at their proper posts. I rode to Colonel
Appier, and ordered him to hold his ground at all.
hazards, as he held the left flank of our first line of
battle, and I informed him that he had a good battery
on his right and strong support to his rear. Gen-
eral McClernand had prompdy and energetically
responded to my request, and had sent me three
regiments, which were posted to protect Waterhouse's
battery and the left fiank of my line.

SHERMAN'S DESCRIPTION. 239

The battle opened by the enemy's battery In the
woods to our front throwing shells Into our camp.
Taylor's and Waterhouse's batteries promptly re-
sponded, and I then observed heavy battalions of in-
fantry passing obliquely to the left, across the open
field in Appier's front ; also, other columns advancing
direcdy upon my division. Our infantry and artillery
opened along the whole line, and the battle became
general. Other heavy masses of the enemy's forces
kept passing across the field to our left, and directing
their course on General Prentiss. I saw at once that
the enemy designed to pass my left flank and fall upon
Generals McClernand and Prentiss, whose line of
camps was almost parallel with the Tennessee River
and about two miles back from it. Very soon the
sound of artillery and musketry announced that Gen-
eral Prentiss was engaged, and about 9 a. m. I judged
that he was falling back. About this time Appier's
regiment broke in disorder, followed by Mungen's
regiment, and the enemy pressed forward on Water-
house's battery, thereby exposed.

Gims Lost.

The three Illinois regiments In immediate support
of this battery stood for some tim.e ; but the enemy's
advance was so vio^orous and the fire so severe that
when Colonel Raith of the Forty-third Illinois received
a severe wound and fell from his horse, his regiment
and others manifested disorder, and the enemy got
possession of three guns of this (Waterhouse's) bat'
tery.

240 GENERAL SHEEMAN.

Although our left was thus turned and the enemy
was pressing our whole line, I deemed Shiloh so im-
portant that I remained by It, and renewed my orders
to Colonels McDowell and Buckland to hold their
ground; and we did hold these positions until about
lo A. M., when the enemy had got his artillery to the
rear of our left flank and some chanofe became neces«
sary. Two regiments of Hlldebrand's brigade -
Appier's and Mungen's — had already disappeared to
the rear, and Hlldebrand's own regiment was in dis-
order. I therefore gave orders for Taylor's battery
— still at Shiloh — to fall back as far as the Purdy and
Hamburg road, and for McDowell and Buckland to!
adopt that road as their new line.

Rejfinients in Disorder.

I rode across the angle and met Behr's battery at
die cross-roads, and ordered It immediately to come into
battery, action right. Captain Behr gave the order,
but he was almost immediately shot from his horse,
when drivers and gunners fled in disorder, carrying
ofl" the caisson, and abandoning five out of six guns
without firing a shot. The enemy pressed on, gaining
this battery, and we were again forced to choose a
new line of defence. Hlldebrand's brigade had sub
stantially disappeared from the field, though he himself
bravely remained. McDowell's and Buckland's bri
gades maintained their organizations, and were con
ducted by my aides so as to join on General McCler
nand's right, thus abandoning my original camps anc
line.

SHERMAN'S DESCRIPTION. 241

This was about lo a. m., at which time the enemy
had made a furious attack on General McClernand's
whole front. He struggled most determinedly, but
finding him pressed, I moved McDowell's brigade
directly against the left flank of the enemy, forced him
back some distance, and then directed the men to
avail themselves of every cover — trees, fallen timbei;
and a wooded valley to our right. We held this posi
' tion for four long hours, sometimes gaining and at
others losing ground ; General McClernand and my-
I self acting in perfect concert and struggling to maintain
this line.
< Falling- Back.

While we were so hard pressed two Iowa regiments
approached from the rear, but could not be brought
up to the severe fire that was raging in our front ; and
General Grant, who visited us on that ground, will
remember our situation about 3 p. m. ; but about 4 p. M.
^itwas evident that Hurlbut's line had been driven back
to the river, and, knowing that General Lew Wallace
iwas coming with reinforcements from Crump's Land-
ing, General McClernand and I, on consultation,
selected a new line of defence, with its right covering
a bridge by which General Wallace had to approach.
We fell back as well as we could, gathering, in addi
tion to our own, such scattered forces as we could find,
and formed the new line.

I During this change the enemy's cavalry charged us,
but were handsomely repulsed by the Twenty- ninth
Illinois Regiment. The Fifth Ohio Battery, which had
u

342 GENERAL SHERMAN.

come up, rendered good service in holding the enem)
In check for some time, and Major Taylor also came
up with another battery, and got into position just ir
time to get a good flank-fire upon the enemy's columr
as he pressed on General McClernand's right, checkinc
his advance, when General McClernand's divisior
made a fine charge on the enemy and drove him bacl
into the ravines to our front and right.

Nig-ht Comes.

1 had a clear field, about two hundred yards wide
In my immediate front, and contented myself witl
keeping the enemy's Infantry at that distance during
the rest of the day. In this position we rested for th(
night. My command had become decidedly of a mixec
character. Buckland's brigade was the only one tha'
retained its organization. Colonel Hildebrand was per
sonally there, but his brigade was not. Colonel Mo
Do well had been severely Injured by a fall off his horse
and had gone to the river, and the three regiments o
his brigade were not in line. The Thirteenth Missouri
Colonel Crafts J. Wright, had reported to me on the
field and fought well, retaining Its regimental organ!
zation, and It formed a part of my line during Sunda>
night and all Monday.

Other fragments of regiments and companies hac
also fallen into my division and acted with It during
the remainder of the battle. Generals Grant and
Buell visited me In our bivouac that evening, and from
them I learned the situation of affairs on other parts
of the field. General Wallace arrived from Crump's

SHEEMAN'S DESCRIPTION. 243

Landing shortly after dark and formed his line to my
fight rear. It rained hard during the night, but our
men were in good spirits, lay on their arms, being
patisfied with such bread and meat as could be gathered
It the neighboring camps, and determined to redeem
()n Monday the losses of Sunday.

Deeds of Valor.

At daylight on Monday I received General Grant's
)rders to advance and recapture our original camps,
despatched several members of my staff to bring
p.p all the men they could find, especially the brigade
i)f Colonel Stuart, which had been separated from the
livision all the day before ; and at the appointed time
he division, or rather what remained of it, with the
Thirteenth Missouri and other fragments, moved for-
ward and reoccupled the ground on the extreme right
f General McClernand's camp, where we attracted the
re of a battery located near Colonel McDowell's
Drmer headquarters. Here I remained, patiently
waiting for the sound of General Buell's advance
pen the main Corinth road.

About TO A. M. the heavy firing in that direction
nd its steady approach satisfied me ; and General
\/^allace being on our right flank with his well-
onducted division, I led the head of my column to
fcneral McClernand's right, formed line of battle,
cing south, with Buckland's brigade directly across
le ridge and Stuart's brigade on its right in the
iOods, and thus advanced, steadily and slowly, under
heavy fire of musketrj^ and artillery. Tayior had

244 GENEEAL SHERMAN.

just got to me from the rear, where he had gone fc^
ammunition, and brought up three guns, which '
ordered into position to advance by hand firing
These guns belonged to Company A, Chicago Ligljj
Artillery, commanded by Lieutenant P. P. Wood, an
did most excellent service.

Awful Kattle of Musketry.

Under cover of their fire we advanced till \\
reached the point where the Corinth road cross(
the line of McClernand's camp, and here I saw k
the first time the well-ordered and compact columr'
of General Buell's Kentucky forces, whose soldier
movements at once gave confidence to our new(
and less-disciplined men. Here 1 saw Willich
regiment advance upon a point of water-oaks ar
thicket, behind w^hich I knew the enemy was in gre
strength, and enter it in beautiful style. Then arc:
the severest musketry-fire I ever heard, and last(
some twenty minutes, when this splendid regime:
had to fall back.

This green point of timber is about five hundn
yards east of Shiloh meeting-house, and it was e^
dent here was to be the struggle. The enemy ecu
also be seen forming his lines to the south. Gener
McClernand sending to me for artillery, I detach<
to him the three guns of Wood's battery, with whii
he speedily drove them back, and, seeing some othe
to the rear, I sent one of my staff to bring the
forward, when by almost providential decree th"
proved to be two twenty-four-pound howitzers b

SHERMAN'S DESCRIPTION. 245

longing to McAlister's battery, and served as well
as guns ever could be.

This was about 2 p. m. The enemy had one battery
close by Shiloh, and another near the Hamburg road,
both pouring grape and canister upon any column of
troops that advanced upon the green point of water-
oaks. Willich's regiment had been repulsed, but a
whole brigade of McCook's division advanced beauti-
fully, deployed, and entered this dreaded wood.

The Enemy Swept like Chaff.

I ordered my second brigade (then commanded
by Colonel T. Kilby Smith, Colonel Stuart being
wounded) to form on its right, and my fourth brigade,
Colonel Buckland, on its right, all to advance abreast
with this Kentucky brigade before mentioned, which
I afterward found to be Rousseau's brigade of
McCook's division. I gave personal direction to the
twenty-four-pounder guns, whose well-directed fire
first silenced the enemy's guns to the left, and after-
ward at the Shiloh meeting-house.

Rousseau's brigade moved in splendid order steadily
to the front, sweeping everything before it, and at
4 p. M. we stood upon the ground of our original front
line, and the enemy was in full retreat. I directed
my several brigades to resume at once their original
camps.

Several times during the battle cartridges gave
out, but General Grant had thoughtfully kept a
supply coming from the rear. When I appealed to
regiments to stand fast, although out of cartridges,

246 GENERAL SHER^tAN.

I did so because to retire a regiment for any caus
has a bad effect on others. I commended the Fortiet
IlHnois and Thirteenth Missouri for thus holding thei
ground under heavy fire, although their cartridge
boxes were empty.

Galiaut Keutuckians.

I was ordered by General Grant to give persona
credit where I thought it due, and censure where
thought it merited. I concede that General McCook'
splendid division from Kentucky drove back th
enemy along the Corinth road, which was the grea
centre of this field of battle, where Beauregard com
manded in person, supported by Bragg's, Polk's, an(
Breckenridge's divisions. I tiiink A. S. Johnston wa
killed by exposing himself in front of his troops a
the time of their attack on Buckland's brigade or
Sunday morning, although in this I may be mis
taken.

My division was made up of regiments perfect!)
/lew, nearly all having received their muskets for tht
first time at Paducah. None of them had ever beer
under fire or beheld heavy columns of an enem)
bearing down on them as they did on that Sunday.

To have expected the coolness and steadiness of
plder troops would be wrong. They knew not the
value of combination and organization. When in-
dividual fears seized them the first impulse was to gel
away. My third brigade did break much too soon,
and I am not yet advised where it was during
Sunday afternoon and Monday morning. Colonel

i^HEHMAN'S DESCllIt>TION. 24?

HIidebrand, Ita commander, was as cool as any man
I ever saw, and no one could have made stronger
efforts to hold his men to their places than he did.
He kept his own regiment, with individual exceptions,
in hand an hour after Appier's and Mungen's regi-
ments had left their proper field of action.

Heroes of tlie Fight.

Colonel Buckland manao^ed his briorade well. I
commended him as a cool, intelligent, and judicious
gentleman, needing only confidence and experience
to make a good commander. His subordinates,
Colonels Sullivan and Cockerill, behaved with great
gallantry; the former receiving a severe wound on
Sunday, and yet commanding and holding his regi-
ment well in hand all day, and on Monday until his
right arm was broken by a shot. Colonel Cockerill
held a larger proportion of his men than any colonel
in my division, and was with me from first to last.

Colonel J. A. McDowell, commanding the First
brigade, held his ground on Sunday, till I ordered
him to fall back, which he did in line of battle ; and
when ordered he conducted the attack on the enemy's
left in good style. In falling back to the next posi-
tion he was thrown from his horse and injured, and
his brigade was not in position on Monday morning.
His subordinates. Colonels Hicks and Worthington,
displayed great personal courage. Colonel Hicks led
his regiment in the attack on Sunday, and received a
wound which it was feared would prove mortal. He
was a brave and gallant gentleman, and deserves well

24S GENERAL ' SHERM A N.

of his country. Lieutenant-Colonel Walcutt of the
Ohio Forty^sixth was severely wounded on Sunday,
and was disabled.

Hard-woD Laurels.

My second brigade, Colonel Stuart, was detached
nearly two miles from my headquarters. He had to
fight his own battle on Sunday against superior num-
bers, as the enemy interposed between him and Gen-
eral Prentiss early in the day. Colonel Stuart was
wounded severely, and yet reported for duty on Mon-
day morning, but was compelled to leave during the
day, when the command devolved on Colonel T. KIlby
Smith, who was always In the thickest of che fight,
and led the brigade handsomely.

As I did not receive Colonel Stuart's report of
the operations of his brigade during the time he was
detached, I was compelled to forbear mentioning
names. Lieutenant-Colonel Kyle of the Seventy-first
was mortally wounded on Sunday, but the regiment
itself I did not see, as only a small fragment of it was
with the brigade when it joined the division on Mon-
day morning. Great credit was due the fragments of
men of the disordered regiments who kept In the ad-
vance. I observed and noticed them, but until the
brigadiers and colonels made their reports I could not
venture to name individuals, but did In due season
notice all who kept in our front line, as well as those
who preferred to keep back near the steamboat land-
ing. The following w^as the result in figures of the
killed, wounded and missing:

SHERMAN'S DESCRIPTION. 249

Officers killed i6

Officers wounded 45

Officers missing 6

Soldiers killed 302

Soldiers wounded 1230

Soldiers missing 435

Aggregate loss in the division 2034

The enemy captured seven of our guns on Sunday,
but on Monday we recovered seven — not the identical
guns we had lost, but enough in number to balance
the account. At the time of recovering our camps
our men were so fatigued that we could not follow the
retreating masses of the enemy ; but on the following
day I followed up with Buckland's and Hildebrand's
brigades for six miles.

Bravery of Staff-oflacers.

Of my personal staff I could only speak with praise
and thanks. I think they smelled as much gunpowder
and heard as many cannon-balls and bullets as sat-
lisfied their ambition. Captain Hammond, my chief
of staff, though in feeble health, was very active in
rallying broken troops, encouraging the steadfast, and
aiding to form the lines of defence and attack. Major
Sanger's intelligence, quick perception, and rapid exe-
cution were of very great value to me, especially in
bringing into line the batteries that co-operated so
efficiently in our movements. Captains McCoy and
Dayton, aides-de-camp, were with me all the tinie,
carrying orders and acting with coolness, spirit, and
courage. To Surgeon Hartshorne and Dr. L'Hom-
medieu hundreds of wounded men were indebted for

250 GENERAL SHERMAN.

the kind and excellent treatment received on the field
of battle and in the various temporary hospitals created
along the line of our operations. They worked day
and niorht, and did not rest till all the wounded of our
own troops as well as of the enemy were in safe and
comfortable shelter.

To Major Taylor, chief of artillery, I felt under deep
obligations for his good sense and judgment in man^
aging the batteries, on which so much depended. The
cavalry of my command kept to the rear, and took
little part in the action ; but it would have been mad-
ness to expose horses to the musketry-fire under which
we were compelled to remain from Sunday at 8 a. m,
\ill Monday at 4 p. m.

Following- the Enemy.

With the cavalry placed at my command and rwoj
brigades of my fatigued troops I went on the morn-'
inor of the 8th out on the Corinth road. One after
another of the abandoned camps of the enemy lined
the roads, with hospital-flags for their protection ; at
all we found more or less wounded and dead men.
At the forks of the road I found the head of General
T. J. Wood's division of Buell's army. I ordered
cavalry to examine both roads leading toward Corinth,
and found the enemy on both. Colonel Dickey, of
the Fourth Illinois Cavalry, asking for reinforcements.
I ordered General Wood to advance the head of his
column cautiously on the left-hand road, while I con-
ducted the head of the third brigade of my division up
the right-hand road.

SHERMAN'S !>EF?ClltPTION.

251

Aboui half a mile from the forks was a clear fields
through yhich the road passed, and immediately
beyond a "jpace of some two hundred yards of fallen
timber, ai:d beyond that an extensive rebel camp.

CAVAi^RY CHARGE AT SHILOH.

The enemy's cavalry could be seen in this camp;
after reconnoissance, I ordered the two advance com-
panies of the Ohio Seventy- seventh, Colonel Hilde-
brand, to deploy forward as skirmishers, and the
regiment itself forward into line, with an Interval of
one hundred yards. In this order we advanced cau-
tiously until the skirmishers were engaged. Taking
it for granted this disposit;r,n would clear the camp, I

252 GENERAL gttfiUMA^^

held Colonel Dickey's Fourth Illinois Cavalry ready
for the charge.

The enemy's cavalry came down boldly at a charge,
led by General Forrest in person, breaking through
our line of skirmishers, when the regiment of infantry,
without cause, broke, threw away their muskets, and
fled. The ground was admirably adapted for a
defence of infantry against cavalry, being miry and
covered with fallen timber.

Onset of Cavalry.

As the regiment of infantry broke, Dickey's cav-
alry began to discharge their carbines, and fell into
disorder. I instandy sent orders to the rear for the
brigade to form line of battle, which was prompdy
executed. The broken infantry and cavalry rallied
on this line, and, as the enemy's cavalry came to it;
our cavalry in turn charged and drove them from the
field. I advanced the entire briorade over the same
ground and sent Colonel Dickey's cavalry a mile
farther on the road. On examining the ground
which had been occupied by the Seventy-seventh
Ohio, we found fifteen of our men dead and about
twenty-five wounded. I sent for wagons and had all
the wounded carried back to camp, and caused the
dead to be buried, also the whole rebel camp to be
destroyed.

Here we found much ammunidon for field-pieces,
which was destroyed ; also two caissons, and a general
hospital with about two hundred and eighty Confed-
erate wounded and about fifty of our own wounded

SHERMAN'S DESCRIPTION. 253

men. Not having the means of bringing them ofif^
Colonel Dickey, by my orders, took a surrender,
signed by the medical director (Lyle) and by all the
attending surgeons, and a pledge to report them-
selves as prisoners of war ; also a pledge that our
wounded should be carefully attended to, and sur-
rendered to us as soon as ambulances could go out.
The roads were very bad, and were strewed with
abandoned wagons, ambulances, and limber-boxes.
The enemy had succeeded in carrying off the guns,
but had crippled his batteries by abandoning the
hind limber-boxes of at least twenty caissons. I am
satisfied the enemy's infantry and artillery passed
Lick Creek next morning, after travelling all night,
and that he left to his rear all his cavalry, which had
protected his retreat ; but signs of confusion and dis
order marked the whole road. The check sustained
by us at the fallen timber delayed our advance, so that
night came upon us before the wounded were pro-
vided for and the dead buried, and our troops being
fagged out by three days' hard fighting, exposure,
and privation, I ordered them back to their camps.

CHAPTER XV.

Thrilling Pen-picture of the Battle of Shiioh by
an Army Surgeon.

It requires many eyes to see a great bartle In aU its
details. Eye-witnesses describe what they saw, ^nd
each according to his location. While all agree in the
general features, changes, and aspects of the contest,
each beholder has something new and of vital interest
to relate. For this reason we add a striking picture
of the terrible fight at Shiloh from the pen of Dr
James Moore, surgeon of the United States army.
After detailing the movements preceding the capture
of Island No. lo, Dr. Moore says:

Thus the doom of Island No. lo was sealed. The
batteries on the Kentucky shore were soon silence(/
by the gunboats, and Pope's army crossed. The Con-
federate army scattered in the
woods, and five thousand were
at last captured. The Confed-
erate commander on the island,
General William D. McCall, then
capitulated with a few hundred
men. A hundred heavy guns,
several field batteries, small-arms
LiEUT.-GEN. w. HARDEE, in abuudauce, tents, wagons,
horses, and provisions, were the fruit pf the victory,
m

PEN-PICTUKE OF SHILOH. 266

ijreat joy was diffused throughout the North. The
rreat Mississippi was now open as far as Forts
A/^ right and Pillow, sixty miles above Memphis, and
i.^oote prepared to attack these also,
i Meanwhile a great battle was In progress at Pitts-
)urg Landing, on the banks of the Tennessee, Thus,
)n the same Sunday night on which the steamer Pitts-
ourg ran the enemy's batteries, the two armies lay on
[he field where they had fought desperately the entire
day; and when our troops were crossing to victory
,)n the Kentucky shore, our army was struggling to
•ecover the field which it had lost the preceding day.
The battle of Pittsburg Landing, or Shiloh, lasted two
lays. It commenced on the 6th of April.
. The Confederate general, Johnston, after retreating
•iouth through Tennessee, proceeded toward Mem-
)his, and subsequently massed his army at Corinth,
n Mississippi, near the Tennessee line, ninety-three
niies from Memphis.

Position of tlie Union Army.

General Ulysses S. Grant had moved up the Ten-
lessee River, and placed his army on the west bank
It Pittsburg Landing, where he awaited Buell's corps
;rom Nashville. The design was to combine their
orces and advance on the rebel camp at Corinth,
fohnston moved his entire army on the 4th of April,
ntending to assault Grant on Saturday, but bad roads
detained him until Sunday morning. There is a road
rom Pittsburg Landing to Corinth, distant twenty
niles. This road two miles from the Tennessee River

256 GENERAL SHERMAN.

H

divides, and while one fork continues right on in it
course, the other runs to lower Corinth. From Ham
burg Landing, some miles up the river, a road crosses
that before mentioned. Two roads branch off on th(
right, in the direction of Purdy. It was on these
several roads, and between them, at a distance of frorr
two to five miles from Pittsburg Landing, that th«
Federal army lay encamped. The divisions farthesij
advanced were those of Prentiss, Sherman, and Mcll
Clernand. Hurlbut's and Smith's divisions lay bdj
tween them and the river. Smith being sick, hi
division wes commanded by W. H. L. Wallace She3
man's brigade held the right, Prentiss the centre, am
Colonel Stuart the left. The extreme left was deemec
sufficiently protected by precipices and a ravine.

On the rebel side, General A. S. Johnston coj
manded and had especial charge of the centre
Generals Braxton Bragg and T. P. G. Beauregai
commanded the two wings ; and Hardee, Polk, at
Breckenridge held subordinate positions. Their pla|
was to make an attack on the Federal centre, anc!
then on each of the wings, front and flank. Th(i
rebel troops numbered seventy thousand men.

Sudden Attack.

The enemy attacked the Federals as some were a]
breakfast and others lying around. It was a complel
surprise. The pickets had been driven In suddeni]
and the enemy's artillery cast shot and shell amoni
the regiments. So unexpected was the assault th«
officers were bayonetted before they rose from th<

PEN-PICTURE OF SHILOH. 257

jbeds. There was a general panic before any line of
.battle could be formed. The attack on Buckland's
brigade of Sherman's division was made so suddenly
that the officers had not time to dress. The men,
pnatching up their muskets as best they could, ran to
fhe other portion of the division in the utmost dis-
order.

Sherman Falls Back.
Sherman made herculean efforts to get the division
n position to abide the coming shock. McClernand
neanwhile was trying to fill up the gap caused by
Auckland's disordered flight, and was gallantly stem-
ning the tide of batde amid the rolling smoke, the
irash of muskets, and the roar of artillery. Sherman
aw that he could not resist the fearful odds which
/ere hurled against him, and issued the order to fall
ack.

j Meanwhile the division of Prentiss was in a more
eplorable plight. It is true that there was time to
Drm in line of batde, but, being drawn up in an open
pld, they were exposed to a murderous fire poured
a them by the enemy from the edge of the woods,
nd were mowed down with great slaughter. They
^ood their ground with cool courage, and their volleys
^5re rapid and steady. But Grant was not on the
Wd, and there was littk concert of action, as each
cmmander could only take care of his own division,
Md his ground, znd wait for support. Hence, no
r^ular line of battle ;:juld be formed, and while the
f'deral forces ccr.id adopt no connect^dl plan, the

17

258 GENERAL SHERMAN.

rebel army as one machine was hurled on the disor-
ganized troops.

Prentiss's Division Shattered.

Prentiss was outflanked, and saw himself enclosed
by the enemy. The disorganized portion of his divis-
ion, numbering three thousand men, surrendered anc
were marched to the rear. The insolent foe drove
the other regiments of this division before them like i.
flock of sheep.

One brigade after another was brought up by Md;
Clernand to support Sherman. Desperate grew the
struggle which ensued, and cannon and musketry
rolled their continuous thunders over the bloody field
and the audacious enemy rushed up to the mouth oi
the cannon and took several. Desperate hand-toi
hand fights ensued, and the stubborn resistance ot
Sherman, though the sacrifice of life was great, kep.
the army from being driven in dismay into the river
The enemy, if not repulsed, was checked for a while
McClernand held his ground with great pertinacity
but the gap left by Sherman In retiring laid him opei
to a flank movement, and the head of the enemy'
columns was dashing with all their speed at him.

Terrible Havoc.

At this moment the rifled guns from Dresser'
battery swept the road with a destructive fire, and th
enemy paused. Reinforcements, however, strengt\"
ened the forces of the enemy, and one charge re
pulsed was only succeeded by another more desperate

Many Federal officers of the line fell. The artillery

PEN-PICTURE OF SHILOH. 259

horses were shot by scores, and as the guns could not
be withdrawn from the field, they fell into the hands
of the enemy. The half of Swartz's guns and sixteen
horses of the battery were lost. Dresser lost some
rifled pieces and thirty-two horses, and McAlister
half of his howitzers. The division at eleven o'clock
'was driven back, and on a line with Hurlbut's, which
chough fighting well and at times repelling the enemy,
was at last obliged to retreat. Colonel Stuart, in
command of a brigade on Sherman's extreme left,
would have been cut off, but had been fortunately
overlooked by the enemy.

j Almost a Rout.

' Two Confederate brigades were now sent to attack

lim, and he fell back. The enemy pursued, and a

DJoody combat followed. The gallant brigade had to

etreat, with its wounded commander, in ten minutes,

)ut made a stand for upward of an hour on a wooded

iill. McArthur's brigade, which was sent to its aid,

3st its way, and was driven back again and again till

■; had to be sent to the rear to re-form.

At twelve o'clock the camps of Sherman, PrentisSy

nd McClernand were in the possession of the enemy,

ho was still advancino-. The arrival of Grant from

avannah, a few miles down the river, could not stay

le disorder or prevent a retreat. Wallace's division,

^. Crump's Landing, had been ordered up in the

kerning, and would have strengthened the right, but

ilost its way, and, had this been known to the enemy,

1 t|e result would have been fatal.

260 GENERAL SHEEMAN.

Hurlbut put his division into position and animated
his men. Sherman drew up the remains of his brigade
and s?-W that the crisis was imminent. The Confederate
troo^'S now rushed on, flushed with victory, but were
forced back. They advanced again with desperate
efforts, and were again obliged to flee to the thicket.
The leaders led on fresh regiments. Terrible carnage
followed, and the Confederate general A. S. Johnston \
was slain. For a third time the enemy was repelled,:
but fresh troops always came up, and the wasted
Federal forces were compelled to fall back, while theij
Confederates pressed on, covering the field with theij
slain.

On the Brink of Destruction.

The entire left wing was forced back to the river,
vhere thousands were crowded, without boats, andi*
vvere in danger of being massacred by the exultant
enemy. Wallace, on the extreme right, nobly held
his ground and four times repelled the foe. The re-
serve line was carried, and the army now contracted
into the area of half a mile. The sun was on the de-
cline and the whole army was now on the brink of
destruction. Just then a body of cavalry — Buell's
advance — was seen. Help was near. Buell's columns
were approaching the Tennessee, and the wily foe
bore down on the crowded and disorganized Federa
columns to crush them, and thus verify the predictior
of Beauregard that ere night fell his horse would drinl^
from the Tennessee. The enemy reckoned without
his host.

PEN-PICTUKE OF SHILOH. 261

Death -shots from Parrott Guns.

At the critical moment, Colonel Webster, chief of
staff, skilled as an artillerist, had collected all the guns,
some of large calibre, from the broken batteries, and
arranged them in crescent form around the landing.
Collecting a force of artillerists, he was ready when
the heavy columns of the enemy advanced. Suddenly
twenty-one guns sent forth a deadly fire among the
closed ranks, and the enemy recoiled, again to ad-
vance. The gunboats Tyler and Lexington now
moved down the bank, and with their twenty-four-
pound Parrott guns and rifled cannon sent the shriek-
ing shells bursting among the terrified ranks of the
Confederates. They halted, turned, and retired from
the range of these destructive engines.

Meanwhile, General Nelson, commanding Buell's
advance, crossed the Tennessee and opened a heavy
fire on the enemy with a battery of artillery. The
Confederates withdrew and bivouacked on the bloody
field. Buell's army was coming up rapidly. Nelson's
division was across the river, and Crittenden's was
placed in front of Sherman's broken line. McCook's
division had reached Savannah, and was waiting to
be brought up to the field of battle. The regular
batteries, commanded by Captains Mendenhall and
Terrell, and an Ohio battery, arrived in the night, and
Captain Bardett brought word that the rest would be
up early in the morning. The news of this powerful
reinforcement at hand animated the brave men who
had fought against such odds and, though defeated,

262 GENEKAL SHERMAN.

they felt that returning- day would turn the scale of ;
victory in their favor. l^t

Second Day at Shiloh.

At five o'clock in the morning, on the 7th of April,
Nelson and Crittenden advanced upon the enemy,
drove in his pickets, and at seven o'clock neared his
line of battle. Crittenden formed on the right of
Nelson, with Bardett's battery in the centre. The
sound of cannon shook the field, and told those at
the landing that the batde was begun. McCook
took position on the right of Crittenden, and Wal-
lace with three brigades held the extreme right, and
opened with artillery at seven o'clock.

A grand artillery duel was for some time kept up.
Nelson's line first engaged the enemy in a bloody
contest. Colonel Hazen, of the Nineteenth brigade,
captured a battery, but was compelled to relinquish
it. The lines of Nelson, however, still kept steadily
advancing, sweeping the field lost the day before,
which was yet strewed with the dead of the com-
batants. Crittenden pressed the enemy back in his
front ; and Smith's brigade, by a gallant dash, cap-
tured a battery, to recover which the enraged (oe
charored aorain and ao^ain.

The Host's Majestic Tread.

The combat was deadly for half an hour on this
spot. The splendid troops of McCook moved on,
and now the Federal line, a mile and a half in extent,
advanced with slow, majestic tread against the enemy,
who, under cover of the thickets, made a desperate

PEN-PICTURE OF SHILOH. 263

'ally and hurled such a powerful force on Nelson's
ivision that it recoiled, faltered, and finally fell back,
^he compact masses of the foe were assailed at this
ritical moment by Terrell's regular battery, raining
hells from the twenty-four-pound howitzers. They
taggered, but rallied again, and, undaunted, marched
p to the death-dealing guns, and horses and gun-
ers alike went down, till there was not a man re-
gaining at one of the pieces. Terrell and a corporal
worked one of the guns till saved by the dash of a
sgiment. Nelson kept his men well in hand, but the
ally of the foe, which at first had caused him to give
ray, swept on in turn to Crittenden, who had to take
tp a new position.

The Tide of Battle Turned.

The exultant enemy followed up his success till his
^nks were swept by the death-bolts hurled by Men-
enhall's and Bardett's artillery. Meanwhile, Buell,
^eing the determined resistance of the enemy,
rdered an advance by brigades at the double-quick,
he enemy, recoiling from the terrible line of glitter-
ig steel and the simultaneous movement of that great
ost, fell back step by step as the Federal divisions
ressed on. They lost all the ground which had been
on the day before. The foe was now in confusion,
eing mowed down in platoons by the musketry and
rtillery.

On the same spot where the Federal defeat had
iken place on the previous day all the gans lost on
lat part of the field were recaptured, ar i two of the

•264 GENEEAL SHEEMAK

enemy's captured In turn. A last and desperate stai
was made In front of McCook's division, but ecu]
not drive him back, though he was exposed to a flai
movement.

Wallace had a desperate encounter with a Confec
erate line, which seemed, as regiment after reglmei
poured in, to be Interminable. Cannonading on bo<
sides extended along the whole front till he sei
sharpshooters to pick off the gunners. Waiting fd
Sherman, at last that leader brought up the remnaJ
of his brave division and advanced on the Confederal
lines.

Sherinan Cries, " Forward ! "

Sherman rode along where the bullets flew thickes
and roused the courage of his men to a high degrej
His horse was killed, but he sprang on another ai
gave the order, " Forward! " The woods were galn(
one of the enemy's batteries flanked, and here tl
scale of victory preponderated to the Federal sidi
Wallace, seeing the Confederate guns limbering u]
was upon them. The whole line heard the order
"Forward!" and pressed on the enemy till he wa:
driven to the woods.

By a determined stand here Sherman's division wa^
forced back ; but, though wounded twice and having
three horses shot under him, he rallied his brave
troops and hurled them on the foe, being distin
gulshed on this hard-fought field as the hero of heroes
The tide of battle, beginning on the left, had rollec
like a wave on to the rights The enemy had tried to

PEN-PICTURE OF SHILOH. 265

find an unguarded or weak point, but now fell back
slowly till driven beyond the last Federal camp.
Three thousand cavalry in reserve were now ordered
to charge them. But the enemy retired in order,
and, planting his artillery, hurled destruction on the
victorious columns which attempted to turn the defeat
into a complete rout. Buell gave the order to halt,
and the wearied troops bivouacked on the field.

Heavy Losses on Both Sides.

General Johnston, the Confederate leader, and
Johnson, the provisional governor of Kentucky, were
among the Confederate dead. The losses on both
sides were nearly equal. The Federals lost in killed,
wounded, and missing, including three thousand pris-
oners, almost fourteen thousand. The loss of tht
enemy was estimated at about the same.

The first day was a defeat ; the second a victory,
but dearly purchased. McClernand lost nearly a
third of his whole force.

The field presented a ghastly spectacle., The
enemy had left his dead. Ten thousand of the. same
race and nation lay cold in death on this ensanf^uined
field, while twice that number were wounded. The
Sanitary Commission here rendered the most invalu-
able service, the ordinary means of supply bein*;,^ Inef-
ficient and nurses as well as physicians too fev/.

In this battle the Confederate army on the first day
was well fought. Want of united action, partly the
consequence of surprise, was the cause wh'<:h, next to
overwhelming numbers, caused the Fedf/c-.l reverse.

m

^6() GENEKAL SHERMAN.

It was a bloody battle on both sides, and such as this
continent had never before witnessed.

Sherman's Magnificent Valor. 9

Sherman rose at once to the peril of the occasion,
and all day long moved like a fabled god over the
disastrous field. Clinging to his position till the last
moment, fighting as he retired, his orders flying like
lightning in every direction, and he himself galloping
incessantly through the hottest fire, now rallying his
men, now planting a battery, he seemed omnipresent
and to bear a charmed life.

Horse after horse sank under him, he himself was
struck again and again, and yet he not only kept the
field, but blazed like a meteor over it. At noon of
that Sabbath day he was dismounted, his hand in a
sling and bleeding, giving directions to his chief of
artillery, while it was one incessant crash and roar all
around him. Suddenly he '^aw to the right his men
giving way before a cloud of Confederates. '' I was
looking for that," he exclaimed. The next moment
the battery he had been placing in position opened,
sending death and destruction into the close-packed
ranks.

The Confederate commander, glancing at the bat-
tery, ordered the cavalry to charge it. Seeing them
coming down, Sherman quickly ordered up two com-
panies of infantry, which, pouring in a deadly volley,
sent them to the right about with empty saddles.
The onset was arrested and our troops rallied with
K'enewed courage.

PEN-PICTURE OF SHILOH. 267

1 Thus he acted all that fearful Sabbath day. As
Sheridan was the rock that saved Rosecrans at Stone
River, and Thomas the one that saved him at Chicka-
mauga, so Sherman was the rock that saved Grant at
Shiloh. At its close his old legion met him, and sent
;up three cheers at the sight of his well- remembered
form.

The Battle Depended on Sherman.
; Rousseau, in speaking of his conduct in this battle,
isaid, " No man living could surpass him." General
Nelson a few days before his death remarked, " Dur-
ing eight hours the fate of the armxy on the field of
Shiloh depended on the life of one man : if General
Sherman had fallen the army would have been cap-
i.ured or destroyed." Grant said, " To his individual
efforts I am indebted for the success of that battle ; "
imd Halleck in his despatch bore this unqualified tes-
imony : "It is the unanimous opinion here that Brig-
idier-General W. T. Sherman saved the fortunes of
he day on the 6th of April." " He was a strong man
p the high places of the field, and hope shone in him
ike a pillar of fire when it had gone out in all other
aen."

The next day, when Buell's fresh battalions took
lie field, Sherman again led his battered regiments
Tto the fight, and enacted over again the heroic
eeds of the day before ; for, as Rousseau said, he
fights by the week." Untiring to the last, he pushed
ut the third day, after the victory, and whipped the
nemy's cavalry, taking a large supply of ammunition.

268 GENERAL SHERMAN.

In the subsequent advance to Corinth his divisk
bore the most conspicuous part, and was the first
enter the deserted works of the enemy. In the mej
time he had been promoted to be major-general
vohmteers.

He could Afford now to Laugh.

He could now laugh at the slander that had
annoyed him and joke of it publicly. There wei
two General Shermans ^n the army before Corini
the only difference in their names being a transpoi
tion of the initials, W. T. and T. W. T. W. wi
known as the Port Royal Sherman, on account of
operations there after the capture of the place
DuPont. He was a very unpopular man with
troops on account of a fretful, peevish dispositiol
exhibiting itself not only in words, but in a disagree
i*ble, nervous manner. He was equally unpopuh
with the officers, who discussed his peculiarities freeli
One day, General W. T. Sherman was calling o^
Steadman, when some one gave a ludicrous accoun
of the behavior of T. W. Sherman on a certai:
occasion, which created a great deal of merrimeni
Sherman joined in it, and jokingly remarked, "01
il'.at is the crazy Sherman, is it?"

The Conquerors.

At the close of this chapter it can hardly b
deemed out of place to notice the influence cf Shilo.
and Corinth on the fortunes of some of the principa
actors. Among the Confederates, Beauregard wa
the man principally affected. He had the greatcs

I

PEN-PICTURE OF SHILOH. 269

)pportunity. He sustained the greatest loss. The
ififect of Shiloh and Corinth was undoubtedly injuri-
')us, but it was not lasting. Beauregard suffered the
ess that neither at Shiloh nor at Corinth did any
•ival of equal capacity come to the front.

On the National side three men shared largely of
he favors of fortune — Halleck, Grant, and Sherman,
-lalleck reaped a glory which was scarcely all his
)wn. Grant, in spite of a treatment which must be
pronounced unjust, not only preserved his reputation,
Dut secured the opportunity of making himself what
le soon afterward was recognized to be, the leading
i'epresentatlve on the field of the Northern cause.

Sherman in the one battle and in the other sur-
passed himself in deeds of skill and daring, and
i^arned his right and title to a place in the front rank
rf the great military men whom the war was gradu-
ally develop)''g — «i p*ace which he never afterward
ost

CHAPTER XVI.

General Sherman's Achievements at Vicksburg i

After the battle of Corinth, which was fought on
the 4th of October, 1862, the army under General
Grant fell back to the position which it formerly occu ;
pied, and remained in comparative inactivity until the
beginning of November. It was stationed from Mem-
phis to Bridgeport, Tennessee, along the Memphis
and Charleston railroad. Its strong points were
Memphis, Grand Junction, and Corinth. The army
was arranged in four divisions.

General Sherman, with the first division, was at t
Memphis; General Hurlbut, with the second, was at i
Jackson ; General C. S. Hamilton, with the third, was
at Corinth; and General T. A. Davies, with the
fourth, was at Columbus. Grant's headquarters were
at Jackson, Tennessee, a point in the West where the
Central Mississippi railroad unites with the Mobile
and Ohio. That general had not abandoned the plan
vliich was inaugurated at Henry and Donelson. His
vhole soul was bent on the capture of Vicksburg. A
variety of circumstances, however, had necessitated
delay. The removal of Halleck to Washington had
devolved upon him the entire care of the Departm.ent
of the Tennessee — a department which included, in
addition to Cairo, Forts Henry and Donelson, the

270

ACHIEVEMENTS AT VICKSBURG. 271

whole of Northern Mississippi, and those portions of
Tennessee and Kentucky west of the Tennessee
River. This, however, was not the only or even the
most important reason.

A Weakened Army.

The army which had fought and won at Shiloh, at
Corinth, and at luka had been greatly weakened, a
large proportion of its strength having been sent to
Kentucky to resist the invasion of Bragg. It was
necessary, therefore, for Grant, while perfecting his
plans and rearranging his troops, to wait for reinforce-
ments. As soon as the reinforcements arrived he was
ready to move.

The National gunboats had swept the Mississippi
from Cairo to Memphis, and between those two points
every Confederate stronghold had been deserted or

, destroyed. Farragut, with a portion of his fleet, had
pushed his way up to Vicksburg after the rapture of
New Orleans. He was accompanied by General F.
Williams with an infantry force of four regiments.
While Farragut bombarded the city, Williams was

[Cutting a canal with the view of diverting che waters
of the Mississippi from their proper channel, thus
[leaving Vicksburg high and dry on all sides.

Fruitless Siege.

The siege lasted some seventy days. It was all to

no purpose. Farragut, who failed to make any srri-

ous impression on the Confederate works, began Ko

fear for his own safety. The canal also proved a

(Complete failure. The fleet and the land /brce Ix^ch

272 GENERAL SHERMAN.

found It necessary to retire, and Vicksburg remained
to obstruct the navigation of the great river.

On the 4th of November, Grant began to move.
He transferred his headquarters from Jackson to La
Grange, some few miles to the west of Grand Junction.
He soon discovered that the Confederates, under Gen-^
eral John C. Pemberton, a Pennsylvanian, who had
superseded Van Dorn, were in considerable strength
immediately in his front. Pemberton, in fact, had
taken a strong position behind two lines of defences,
the outer being the Yallabusha and the inner being
the Tallahatchie — two streams which after their junc-
tion form the Yazoo River. Both of these streams
cross the Mississippi Central railroad between Grand
Junction and Grenada. The banks of the Tallahatchie
were strongly fortified. Grant's first intention was to
offer Pemberton battle, defeat him, and force his way
to Vicksburg.

Sherman and Grant Laying- Plans.

On the 8th he sent out McPherson with ten thousand
infantry and fifteen hundred cavalry, with instructions
to drive from Lamar a body of Confederates who
were holding the railroad. McPherson accomplished
his task in the most effectual manner, the Confed-
erates having been driven back as far as Holly
Springs. The time had now come to make a deter
mined effort to open the Mississippi.

About the 17th of November, Grant summoned
Sherman to meet him at Columbus, and at the inter-
view which there took place the views of the two

MAP OF VICKSBURG AND VICINITY.

u

273

274 GENEKAL SHERMAN.

generals were freely exchanged, Grant explaining to
Sherman his plan and giving him his orders.

It was Sherman's suggestion that a portion of Cur-
tis's army, which was stationed at Helena, should
be brought over to Delta with a view to co-operate
with Grant in his general movement toward Vicks-
burg. These troops which, in the absence of General
Curtis, who was at St. Paul, were under the tempo-
rary command of General Frederick Steele, were
promptly at the place appointed on the eastern bank
oi the Mississippi. They numbered some seven
thousand men, and were under the joint command ol
Generals A. P. Hovey and C. C. Washburne.

Ordered to scour the country to the south and east
in the rear of the Confederate army, to destroy the
railroads and bridges so as to cut off supplies, anc
generally to prepare the way for Grant's advance
they accomplished their task in the most effectua.
manner, and then returned to the Mississippi.

Confederates Fall Back.

Pemberton, on discoverinor that the railroads were
badly damaged and that the rolling-stock was de-
stroyed. Grant meanwhile pressing on his front
deemed it prudent to fall back on Grenada.

On the 1st of December, Grant was at Holl)
Springs. On the 5th he was at Oxford, where h(
established his headquarters. It now became i
serious question with General Grant how far he wa:
wise in allowing himself to be tempted to advance
into the enemy's country. The State of Mississipp

ACHIEVEMENTS AT VICK6BUEG. 275

'I was but sparsely peopled, and he had no means of
knowing whether its resources were equal to the
wants of a large army possibly cut off from its base
' of supplies. Had he known what he knew after-
' ward, the caution would have been unnecessary, and
' he would doubtless have continued his onward march.
On the 5th of December, Sherman, on his way to
1 join Grant and bringing with him from Memphis
' some sixteen thousand men, arrived at College Hill,
about ten miles from Oxford, whence he reported to
' his chief. On the 8th he received from Grant a let-
ter requesting his immediate presence at Oxford, and
enclosing a message from Halleck to Grant author-
' Izing the latter to prosecute the new plan he had just
submitted to him, to move his troops as he thought
best, to retain till further orders all Curtis*s troops
now in his department, to telegraph to General Allen
in St. Louis for all the steamboats he might need, and
to ask Porter to co-operate with his gunboats.

Plan of Land and Jjaval Attack.

On his arrival at Oxford, Sherman found Grant
surrounded by his staff. The new plan was discussed
and approved. It will be seen that Grant made up
his mind that, for the safety of his men as well as for
the final success of the expedition, it was necessary
to take full advantage of the river communication
with Vicksburg. It was agreed that a large force on
transports should proceed down the Mississippi under
convoy of Porter's gunboats — that on reaching the
mouth of the Yazoo they should open up that water

276 GENERAL SHERMAN.

line, and by a joint attack of the land and naval forces
attempt to capture Vicksburg in the rear. Grant
meanwhile was to press forward toward Jackson,
which is only some forty-six miles to the west of
Vicksburg, offering Pemberton battle, and following
him up close in the event of his retreat, in the hope
of finding Sherman on the Yazoo with supplies or in
possession of Vicksburg.

Happily, Grant had been left complete control
of the whole movement, Halleck having offered no
special advice and imposed no conditions. He could
move at will, and he could place in prominent com-
mand the men of his own choice.

Sherman's Coniinaud.

Sherman, who commanded the right wing of Grant's
army, was appointed to the command of the river ex-
pedition, and received his instructions. Grant had
the greater pleasure in appointing Sherman to this
command that McClernand, who had great influence
with the President, w^as known to be intriguing for an
independent command on the Mississippi. Sherman
was therefore ordered to take command of the force?
at Memphis, and those also at Helena and Deltc
under General Steele, to descend the river by trans-
ports, with the gunboat fleet, commanded by Admiral
Porter, as a convoy, and to attack Vicksburg by the
29th of November.

McClernand was to take the forces at Cairo and
to proceed to Vicksburg, so as to be in time to lend
Sherman effective aid as soon as he made the attack.

ACHIEVEMENTS AT VICKSBURG. 27)

Grant himself, as we have said, was to move rapidly
on the Confederates to the north and east of Vicks-
burg, to follow them if they should retreat toward the

I city, and to take part with Sherman, if necessary, in

I the reduction of the place.

Ready for Action.
It was a well-conceived plan. Its success, however

; depended on the prompt and faithful execution of all
its parts. Grant knew that it was unsafe to trust for

I supplies solely to the enemy's country. He had
therefore repaired the Central Mississippi railroad as
far as Oxford, where, for the present, he had estab-
lished his headquarters, and Holly Springs, which was
entrusted to the care of Colonel R. C. Murphy, was

: retained as a grand depot and hospital.

! Let us see how this plan was carried out. Grant
had taken great care that no misfortune should befall
him in his rear. He had left small but adequate gar-

I risons at Columbus, at Humboldt, Trenton, Jackson,

? Bolivar, Corinth, Holly Springs, Coldwater, Davis's
Mills, and Middlebury. He had taken particular care
of Holly Springs, for he knew that the treasures at
that place presented a powerful temptation to Van
Dorn. On the night of the 19th he warned Murphy
of his danger, and informed him that he had sent four
thousand men to enable him to repel any attack which
might be made upon him. Murphy, it would seem,
paid little heed to the instructions given him. He
made no extra preparations to resist the enemy, and
was clearly unequal to the occasiui*.

278 GENERAL SHERMAN.

On the morning of the 20th, at daybreak, Van Dorn.
executing a brilHant cavalry operation, rushed upon
the place with tremendous fury. Murphy offered no
resistance. The Second IlHnois, however, refused to
surrender, and gallantly fought their way out with a
loss of only seven men. Murphy, with the rest of his
men, accepted a parole. Van Dorn seized all the
property, valued at over fifteen hundred thousand
dollars, taking with him what he could carry and de-
stroying the remainder. He set fire to the buildings,
not even sparing the hospital, which was filled with
sick and wounded soldiers, and committed an act of
inhuman barbarity.

"Cowardly and Disgraceful Conduct."

This was the second time that Murphy had been
guilty of such conduct. He did the same thing at
luka. General Grant was wild with rage. It was his
opinion that with *' all the cotton, public stores and
substantial buildings about the depot " Murphy ought
to have been able to keep the assailants at bay until
relief arrived. It was only four hours after the catas-
trophe when the four thousand men sent to his aid
arrived on the spot. Grant was particularly incensed
at Murphy for accepting a parole for himself and his
men. A cartel had been agreed to by the rival com
manders, and it had been stipulated that each party
should take care of his own prisoners.

If Murphy had refused parole for himself and men,
Van Dorn would have been " compelled to release
them unconditionally or to have abandoned all further

ACHIEVEMENTS AT VICKSBURG. 279

aggjessive movements for the time being." In a
I severe order on the 9th of January, General Grant
dismissed Murphy from the army, the order to take
effect "from December 20th, the date of his cowardly
and disgraceful conduct."

The disaster at Holly Springs was ruinous to
Grant's plan. It robbed him of supplies which it
was intended should sustain the army for several
weeks. To replace them it would be necessary to
put in operation all the capacity and force of the
Columbus railroad, but this railroad had been de
stroyed, and weeks would be exhausted before it
could be put in working order. Ignorant of the
resources of the country, and not knowing whether,
in the event of his pressing forward, he should find
Sherman in the vicinity of Vicksburg, he deemed it
lis duty to fall back. Me immediately recrossed the
Tallahatchie.

The Game of War.

Having no other means of subsisting his army, he
made requisitions on the inhabitants as he moved
along. On the 23d of December he was at Holly
Springs, now a scene of wreck and ruin, and a few
days later he re-entered La Grange and Grand Junc-
tion, where he was once more in communication with
Corinth and Memphis. Pemberton made no attempt
to pursue. On the contrary, taking advantage of
the retreat of his antagonist, he withdrew the greater
portion of his forces from Grenada and concentrated
toward Vicksburg.

280 GENERAL SHERMAN.

On the same day that Van Dorn made his raid on
Holly Springs an attack was made by a Confederate
force on Davis's Mills, a little farther to the north. In
the neighborhood of Jackson, Tennessee, a vital point
in Grant's line of communications, an attack was made
by a body of cavalry under Forrest on the 19th. The
telegraph wires were cut and the railroad was de-
stroyed.

Hopes Blasted.

On the following day Forrest presented himself
before Humboldt and Trenton. These and other
stations along the railroad, such as Dyer's, Ruther-
ford, and Kenton, fell an easy prey to the enemy. It
seemed to be the purpose of the Confederates to de-*
stroy every railroad bridge from Columbus to Corinth, Ij
and thus to cut Grant off from all his communications)
and supplies.

So far, they had carried out their purpose with de-
termination and with not a little success. Never was
campaign opened under apparently happier auspicies.
The rich bud of promise, however, was cruelly blasted.

Grant's plan of the campaign had failed. Mean-
while, what of Sherman? On the 20th, the very day
on which Van Dorn and Forrest struck the blow
A'hich compelled Grant to fall back and abandon his
part of the joint undertaking, Sherman took his de-
parture from Memphis. Taking with him over twenty
thousand troops in transports, he left as a guard to
the city a strong force of infantry and cavalry, and
the siege-guns in position with a complement of gun^^

ACHIEVEMENTS AT VICKSBURG. 281

ners. On the following day, at Friar's Point, he was
joined by Admiral Porter in his flag-ship Black
Hawk, with the Marmora, Captain Getty, and the
Conestoga, Captain Selfridge, which were to act as a
convoy. The remainder of Porter's fleet was at the
mouth of the Yazoo. On the same evening, the
2 1st, the troops at Helena embarked in transports
and came to Friar's Point. Sherman's force was now
at least thirty thousand strong. All the arrange-
ments were completed, and the joint expedition was
moving down the river the following morning.

A Strangle Story.

Sherman got away just in time to secure for him-
self the glory or dishonor of the expedition. Had
he lingered a day longer he would have been super-
seded in his command by General McCIernand. It is
a strange story, and one which, for the sake of all the
parties concerned, it would be well if the world could
forget. We will not enter into details. It has already
been stated that General McCIernand was a warm
personal friend of President Lincoln, and that he
was ambitious of an independent command on the
Mississippi.

It is not necessary to say that Sherman was a man
according to Grant's own heart. Since that great
day at Shiloh their fates had been linked together,
and they had been to each other like David and
Jonathan. Sherman was also a great favorite with
Halleck, the commander-in-chief at Washington.
But for the personal wishes of Grant and Halleck,

282 GENERAL* SI JEKM AN.

both of whom knew well that Sherman was the man i
for the position, McCleiiiand would have been ap- >
pointed by Lincoln in tiie hrst instance to the com- i
mand of the river expedition.

McClernand, however, was not to be put off: and
Lincoln, who was always unwilling to disoblige a ;
friend, was weak enough to yield to his entreaties
On the 1 8th of December an order from the Presi- i
dent reached Grant, directing him to divide all his
forces into four army corps, to assign one corps to <
McClernand, and to place him at the head of the
troops destined for the attack upon Vicksburg.

Embarrassing" Situation. |

Grant could hardly fail to see in this order a blow t'
aimed at himself. It was a most awkward circum-
stance, and reflected little credit on the wisdom and ^
good sense of the President. Good and great as he .
was, Lincoln was not without his weaknesses. He was i
vain enough to imagine that he knew quite as much
as his generals in the field, and he was disposed to
deal with military officers as he was in the habit of
dealing with politicians.

It is not much to be wondered at if Grant was stag-
gered by this order and if he was slow to put it in
execution. It was not difficult for him to find an ex-
cuse. He was in the midst of his preparations for an
onward march. The reconstruction of his army, ac-
cording to the instructions received, occupied him the
whole of the 19th. The disaster at Holly Springs,
compelling a backward movement, occurred on the

J

ACHIEVEMENTS AT VICKSBURG. 283

20th, and the raids of Forrest on the same day de-
prived him of the use of the telegraph.

Every Inch a Soldier.

As it was, Sherman had proceeded down the river
before any counter-instructions reached Memphis. If
Sherman had any reason to fear a counter-order, his
haste to get ready and his prompt departure but re ,
sealed the soldierly spirit and true character of the
nan. As the result proved, it was well for Sherman,
well for General Grant, and well for the nation at
brge that Lincoln's order did not take effect before
|;he 20th of December.

On Christmas Day the expedition under Sherman
ind Porter had reached Milliken's Bend, when Sher-
fnan detached Burbridge's brigade of A. J. Smith's
'division to break up the railroad leading from Vicks-
Durg to Shreveport, Louisiana. Leaving A. J. Smith's
division to await the return, the remaining divisions
oroceeded on the 26th to the mouth of the Yazoo,
md up that river to Johnson's plantation, some
^.hirteen miles, and there disembarked.

I Insurmountable Obstacles.

J The disembarkation was conducted without any op-
position. Steele's division landed farthest up the river,
ibove what is called Chickasaw Bayou ; Morgan's
division, a little lower down, at the house of Johnson,
Vhich had been burned by the gunboats on a former
!)ccasion ; Morg^an L. Smith's division, below that of
Morgan ; and A. J. Smith's, which arrived next night,
below that of M. L. Smith. The ground on which

284 GENERAL SHERMAN.

Sherman now found himself presented obstacles
of which formerly he had but a very imperfect
conception.

Vicksburg is built on a range of bluffs known as the
Walnut Hills. These hills, which take their rise a
little below the city, extend for the most part in a
north-easterly direction, terminating in Haines' Bluff
a distance of some thirteen or fourteen miles. The
configuration of these hills has been compared to the
ridge at Inkerman, to which it is said they bear, in
some particulars, a striking resemblance. Their aver-
age height is about two hundred feet.

Natural Defences.

Where the Mississippi touches their base at Vicks^
burg, and for some miles both above and below, they
are precipitous. Along their entire length, indeed,
from Vicksburg to Haines' Bluff, their face is veryi
abrupt and cut up by numerous valleys and ravines.
The only approach to the city by land from up the
river is by climbing their almost perpendicular front.
The ground beyond is high, broken, and somewhat
rolling, gradually descending to the Big Black River.
The Yazoo, which skirts the ridge at Haines' Bluff
about nine miles above Vicksburg by the road along
the foot of the bluffs, flows in a south-western direction,
and before discharging its waters into the Mississippi
crosses an old arm of the river, which now forms a
semicircular lake.

The Yazoo evidently in times gone by clung to the
foot of the hills, and traces of its former whereabouts

ACHIEVEMENTS AT VICKSBURa. 285

ire to be seen in the numerous bayous and channels
Sy which the intervening ground is cut up. One of
.hese bayous puts off from the Yazoo about one-third
dF the distance below Haines' Bluff, running at right
iingles with the river until it approaches the bluffs,
A^hen it turns and follows their base until it empties
tself into the Mississippi. It is called Chickasaw
Bayou.

Frowning Batteries.
I Between the bayou and the hills there was an irreg-
ular strip of land on which the trees had been felled
;o form an abattis. It was dotted also with rifle-pits.
Rifle-trenches abounded, too, along the front of the
Diuffs, and the heights above were crowned with bat-
;eries.

About a mile to the north-east of the bayou, and
Darallel with it, there is a deep slough, which makes
1 sharp turn as it approaches the bluffs, and enters
l^hickasaw Bayou at the point where the latter is
:hecked in its course and turns to flow alongr the base
of the hills. There was thus a fortified line some
;welve or thirteen miles in length, formed of abattis
md rifle-pits, with an impassable ditch in front, and
terminating in the powerful fixed batteries at Haines'
Bluff on the one hand, and in the heavy batteries and
leld-works above Vicksbure on the other.

The land lying between the Yazoo and the Chick-
isaw was not only low and swampy : it was, except
n one or two places where there were plantations,
densely "/-r^oded. The distance from Johnson's Land-

I

286 GENERAL SHERMAN.

ing to the Chickasaw was about six miles. Such wa5
the ground over which Sherman proposed to march
his men. Such were the obstacles to be overcome
before he could enter Vicksburg. To the Nationa
commander, however, and to his officers these obsta
cles were, as yet, but imperfectly known. |

Slieniian's Valiant Army.

General Sherman's army was organized in fourdi'
visions. The First division, comprising three brieadesi'
was under Brigadier-General George W. Morgan j
Second division, three brigades, under Brigadier-Gem
eral Morgan L. Smith ; Third division, three brigades.)
under Brigadier-General A.J. Smith ; Fourth divisions
four brigades, under Brigadier-General Fredericki
Steele. The brigade commanders of the Fourth divis-
ion were Generals Frank P. Blair, John M. Thayer
C. E. Hovey, and Colonel Hassendurbel.

According to Sherman's plan of attack, Generali
Steele was to hold the extreme left. General Morgan
the left centre. General M. L. Smith the right centre,
and General A. J. Smith the extreme right. As the
latter general had not yet arrived from Milliken's
Bend, where we left him waiting for Burbridge, Gen-
eral Frank P. Blair, with his brigade, was detached
from Steele's division and placed on Morgan's right.

Clever Strateg-y.

The object of this arrangement was to distract the
enemy's attention, leading him to expect an attack at
a number of different points. Instructions, however,
had been given to each of the commanders to con-

ACHIEVEMENTS AT VICKSBURG. 287

verge toward the point of attack, at or near Bar-
field's plantation. There it had been discovered the
bayou could be crossed at two points — at a sand-bar
and at a narrow levee.

On the 27th the army be^^an to move. General
Steele, who had been ordered to take position on the
iirther side of the slough above this bayou, expe-
rienced great difficulty in landing his troops. So soft
and slushy was the ground and so dense was the
brushwood that he found it necessary to construct
roads for moving his wagons and artillery. When
night came he had only advanced some two miles
from the shore.

During the greater portion of next day he pushed
forward his command, but he was compelled to report
to Sherman that he found it physically impossible to
reach the bluffs from his position, and that to persist
in the attempt would inevitably lead to the ruin of
his troops and the loss of his field equipage.

Pressing Forward.

He was therefore ordered to leave some of his

troops behind him as a show of force, to hasten to the

west side of the Chickasaw Bayou, and to take a posi

nil on Morgan's left. On the 27th, Blair moved

slowly toward the bluffs, his desire being to give

Steele time to come into position on the left. He

' succeeded in silencing one of the enemy's batteries at

i the point where he expected Steele would be able to

join him, and held his ground.

On the 28th the various divisions pressed forward,

288 GENERAL SHERMAN.

and the National troops were in full possession on
the Yazoo side of the bayou, with one bridge thrown
dcross and with two bridges partially constructed.
During the course of the day, while reconnoitring,
General M. L. Smith was severely wounded in the
hip, and compelled to retire to his steamboat.

Selecting Positions,

His command devolved on General Stuart; but
Sherman, feeling convinced that A. J. Smith could
accomplish nothing on the extreme right, because of
the heavy fire of the forts immediately in his front,
ordered him to leave Burbridge in position at that
point, and to come up with a portion of his forces
to the point selected for crossing the bayou, and
entrusted him with the execution of the task. Such
was the state of things on the night of the 28th.

General Morgan was in position on the west, or
rather south-west, side of the. Chickasaw ; General
Blair was a little to his right, near the angle of the
bayou ; General M. L. Smith's division, under Gen-
eral Stuart, was on the right centre ; General A. J.
Smith's, which was farther to the right, had taken
position near the place where the bayou was to be
crossed ; and General Steele was moving up on the
(eft, to act as a reserve to Morgan.

The Grand Attack.

On the morning of the 29th all things were in
readiness for the attack. It was Sherman's object,
as he himself has told us, to make a lodgment on
the foot-hills and bluffs abreast of his position, while

ACHIEVEMENTS AT VICKSBUKG. 289

diversions were being made by the navy at Haines'
Bluff and by the First division directly toward Vicks-
burg. We have already mentioned that there were

( two crossings — one in front of Morgan, and another
a little farther to the south-west, in front of M. L.
Smith. An attempt was made by A. J. Smith to
throw a light flying bridge over the bayou, more to
the right. On the extreme left, a little above the
angle of the Chickasaw, near the house of Mrs. Lake,
Blair's men had succeeded in constructing a bridge,

ibut not without great difficulty and with very con-

:siderable loss.

Storm of Fire.

Sherman expected great things from General
Morgan, who, as we have seen, commanded the
first division and was to lead the attack in person.
Sherman pointed out to him the place where he
could pass the bayou, and received for answer, ''Gen-
eral, in ten minutes after you give the signal I'll be
on those hills." His position was one of considerable
difficulty. The crossing was narrow, and immediately
opposite, at the base of the hills, there was a Con-
(Cderate battery, supported by infantry posted on the
jpurs of the hills in the rear. This was the real point
)f attack, but to distract the attention of the enemy
Dherman's instructions were that the initial move-
nents should be made at the flanks.

It was about noon before the signal was given foi
■ general forvi^ard movement across the bayou and
oward the enemy's position. A heavy artillery fire

290 GENERAL SHERMAN.

was opened all along the National line. It recalleci
the memory of luka and Corinth. The Confederate
batteries made a prompt reply, and were soon fol
lowed by the infantry, which opened a perfect tempesj
of lead on the advance ranks of Moro^an and A. ]
Smith.

In the midst of this fierce storm of cannon-shot an(
musketry, DeCourcy's brigade of Morgan's divisio
succeeded in crossing the bayou ; but the fire was s
terrific that they fled for cover behind the bank, an
could not be moved forward. General Blair mear
while had crossed the bayou by the bridge above thi
angle, and had reached the slough, the bottom o
which was quicksand and the banks of which wer
covered with felled trees, these obstacles greatl
impeding his advance.

Desperate Assault.

With great difficulty, and not until his ranks wei
thrown into some disorder, was the crossing of th
slough accomplished. This done, it was necessai
before reaching the enemy's works to traverse
sloping plateau raked by a direct and enfilading fii
from heavy artillery and swept by a storm of bulle
from the rifle-pits.

Nothing daunted, Blair and his brave brigade — h
own and his officers' horses having been left behin
some of them floundering in the mire and vain
seeking a foothold in the quicksand — went boundir
across the plateau. Rushing upon the rifle-pits, th(
captured the first line, and then the second, ar

ACHIEVEMENTS AT VICKSBURG. 291

made a desperate effort to gain the crest of the hill
on which the batteries were planted.

Colonel Thayer of Steele's division had followed
Blair with his brigade over the same bridge. Entering
the abattis at the same point, he turned somewhat to
the right, and emerged upon the plateau almost simul-
taneously with Blair and about two hundred yards
to his right. Unfortunately, however, Thayer found
diat he was followed by only one regiment ; his second
regiment after his movement had commenced having
been ordered to the support of Morgan, and the other
two regiments having followed this one by mistake.
It was a sad blunder, and one which contributed not a
little to the disaster of the day.

Thayer discovered the mistake before he had fairly
brought his troops into acdon, but he was too brave a
man to halt or hesitate in the circumstances. On he
pushed to the right of Blair, and rendered effective aid
in the capture of the second line of rifle-pits. The
odds were fearfully against him.

An Unequal Strug-gle.

Leaving his regiment to hold the position it had
won, he hurried back, with Blair's consent, to obtain
reinforcements. It was a trying interval. The
moments seemed hours. '' It was a struggle," as has
been well said, " between three thousand in the open
iground below and ten thousand behind intrenchments
above." The hillsides bristled with bayonets and
blazed with the fire of musketry, while from the angry
mouths of huge cannon destruction was poured forth

292 GENERAL SHERMAN.

upon the shattered and rapidly-thinning ranks of the
assailants.

Blair, impatient for the return of Thayer, rushed
back himself to persuade the advance of more troops.
It was all in vain. Both Thayer and himself failed in
obtaining reinforcements. No help reached them ;
no diversion was made in their favor. They had no
choice but' to order a retreat. Blair and Thayer fell
back with a loss of at least one-third of their men, and
De Courcy, who had been attacked on the flank by ,
the Seventeenth and Twenty-sixth Louisiana, lost four i
flags, three hundred and thirty-two men made pri-
soners, and about five hundred small-arms. ;

Heroic Bravery. j

The attack was a complete failure. Somehow, the i|
signal for attack was imperfectly understood. Either
that or it was not heard at all on the right. Two i
divisions had remained immovable while a handful of v
men were being crushed in a desperate attempt on
the left. A. J. Smith had done nothing. Stuart had
managed to push one regiment across — the Sixth
Missouri — which had orders to undermine the bluff.
The position of those men was one which severely
tried their faith and patience. They were exposed to
the vertical fire of the Confederate sharpshooters who
occupied the ridge ; and a battalion of the Thirteenth
regulars, who were stationed opposite, and who at-
tempted to protect them from the Confederate fire,
proved equally dangerous with the enemy above.
"Shoot hiorher!" shouted the Nationals below the

ACHIEVEMENTS AT VICKSBUKG. 293

bluff. "Shoot lower!" cried the Confederates. After
dark this regiment was brought back over the bayou.
The remainder of Steele's division did not get up in
time to be of any assistance to Blair. Morgan failed
to make good his promise. He did not even obey
his orders.

Disobedience and Disaster.

General Sherman was particularly severe on Mor-
gan. To him and to his conduct he attributed the
failure of the attack. "This attack failed," he has
since told us in his memoirs, " and I have always felt
that it was due to the failure of General G. W. Mor-
gan to obey his orders or to fulfil his promises made
in person. Had he used with skill and boldness one
of his brigades, in addition to that of Blair, he could
have made a lodgment on the bluff, which would have
opened the door for our whole force to follow."

Sherman was naturally mortified at the "lame and
impotent conclusion " of a movement which he had
fondly and confidently believed would result in a
great and decisive victory. Baffled, and even humil-
iated, he was not dismayed. He resolved to make
another attack, and arrangements were made to push
forward General Hovey to the position from which
Blair had been driven ; Morgan's division, with the
brigades of Blair and Thayer, to follow and support.
For some reason it was not done, and next morning it
was found to be impossible, because of the increased
strength of the Confederates at the menaced point.
Firing was continued on both sides during Tues-

294 GENEEAL' SHEEMAN.

day, and on Wednesday, the 31st, a flag of truce I
was sent in, and the dead were buried and the
wounded cared for.

The Sad Burial. j

An eye-witness has given us a sad picture of the ?
battle-field on that day of burial: "All across the
plain, scattered among the abattis and hid away in
little entanglements of bogs or tufts of bushes, they jj
lay. Confederates and Federals side by side, showing ^
how the battle had rolled and surged with the alter-
nate charges of either party.

" But the saddest sight of all was that of the unfor-
tunate wounded, who had lain through all these weary
hours since the battle, uncared for, many of them,
because the nature of tlieir wounds prevented them
from moving ; others w^ere held fast by a little knot i
of corpses which chance had thrown upon them ; and :'
still others, perhaps not wounded at all at first, but
being caught beneath the horses they rode as they
fell, were pinned to the earth. The frantic appeals
for water, for food, or other succor of such of these
miserable victims of war as could speak at all were
most heartrending."

The Great Commander's New Resolve.

Sherman was still dissatisfied, and resolved to make
another attack. After consulting with Admiral Porter,
it was agreed that a combined naval and land assault
should be made on Haines' Bluff, the key of the Con-
federate position. Porter was to proceed up the
Yazoo with his gunboats and open fire on the bluffs,

ACHIEVEMENTS AT VICKSBURG. 295

iivhile General Steele was to land his division out of
range of the enemy's guns, then to push forward and
take the position by storm. The attack was to be
made during the dark hours. By two o'clock on the
morning of Thursday, the ist of January, the necessary
arrangements were completed. A heavy fog, how-
ever, had enveloped the entire district, and so dense
was it that Porter found it impossible to steer the
boats.

It was utterly out of the question to make any
further efforts. On the night of the 29th December
there had been a tremendous rainstorm ; all the low
ground was flooded, and the men, who had been biv-
lOuacking for five successive days in those wretched
swamps without fire, were suffering cruelly from damp
and cold. On the 2d of January, Sherman placed his
troops on board the transports, and the fleet sailed
down to the mouth of the Yazoo.

' Sherman's Disappointment.

Thus ended, somewhat ingloriously, the second cam-
paign against Vicksburg. Sherman had accomplished
nothing. He had, however, made great sacrifices,
his loss in killed and wounded and prisoners amount-
ing to nearly two thousand men. Such was the batde
of Chickasaw Bayou, or, as it is sometimes but less
correctly named, the batde of Haines' Bluff.

It was a sad disappointment to the people of the
North, and Sherman, from whom great things were
expected, came in for a large share of abuse. Several
of the correspondents on the spot, ignorant of some

296 GENERAL SHEEMAN.

of the causes of the failure, and not knowing as ye
the fate which had befallen Grant, were unnecessaril"
severe in their condemnation of Sherman. That h
meant well, that he was resolved to win, and that hi
plan was well conceived, there can be no doubt. Bu
somehow the execution was not equal to the concep:
tion.

A Fatal Mistake.

There was some mistake in giving the signal, ano
the real assault was made by only three thousana
men. If Blair had been sustained in his attack, as h(i
ought to have been sustained, the National arm}
would most undoubtedly have effected a lodgmen
on the heights ; and, although hard fighting must have
followed, with doubtful success, it is not at all impos
sible that Sherman might have reaped all the glory
due to the capture of Vicksburg. He proved his
generalship in the face of impossibilities.

Blair will be remembered as the hero of Chickasaw
Bayou. He fought like a warrior of old, face to face
and hand to hand with the foe. After Blair praise is
due to Thayer, who gallantly sustained his companion
in arms. The battle-ground no doubt had much to do
with the defeat.

To any one of less daring than Sherman, familiar
with the district and well informed as to the strength
of the enemy's position, the undertaking might have
seemed impracticable from the outset ; and it is ques-
tionable whether even he, had he possessed a fuller
knowledge of the difficulties which beset him, would

ACHIEVEMENTS AT VICKSBURG. 297

have imperilled his fame and risked the lives of his
soldiers in a task so apparently hopeless.

Success Impossible.

It was doubtless a mistake not to have more
thoroughly and officially reconnoitred the ground
before choosing it as a field of action. After all,
however, it was an experiment which might have been
successful, and it was not the only unsuccessful ex-
periment which had been made before Vicksburg was
captured. As it was, everything might have been
well if Grant had been able to carry out his part
of the plan. The retreat of the latter from Oxford,
leaving, as it did, Pemberton free to concentrate his
troops for the defence of Vicksburg, largely dimin-
ished Sherman's chances of success.

The Confederates were jubilant after this first
victory. It was undoubtedly a great triumph. Gen-
eral Pemberton, not without reason, felt proud that
he had baffled Grant in person, compelling him to
retreat, and that he had, temporarily at least, saved
Vicksburg by the defeat of the greatest of Grant's
lieutenants. These rejoicings in the South were not
unmixed with sorrow. The more thoughtful of the
Confederates knew that defeat only intensified the
purpose of the North.

We left the transports and the fleet on their way
down the Yazoo. At the mouth of that river General
McClernand was waiting with orders from the War
Department to take command of the entire expedi-
tion. That general, it will be remembered, was ap

298 GENERAL SHERMAN.

pointed to this command by the direct influence of
President Lincoln. It was a severe blow to Sherman,
who felt it keenly. It was some consolation, however, j
to him to know that the appointment — which had been
made weeks ahead, and which had no connection with j
the recent disaster — was not intended as a disgrace.

With a modesty which became a man of his high
spirit he accepted the situation, and explained to
McClernand what had been done, accepting the en-
tire responsibility of the failure. Referring to the
trains of cars which could be heard coming in to •«
Vicksburg almost every hour, and the fresh troops ij
seen on the bluffs, he gave it as his opinion that :
Pemberton's army must have been pressed back and t
that Grant must be at hand.

He then learned, for the first time, what had be-
fallen Grant; McClernand stating that Grant was
not coming at all, that the depot at Holly Springs
had been captured by Van Dorn, that Grant had
fallen back from Coffeeville and Oxford to Holly
Springs and La Grange, and that when he passed
down Quimby's division of Grant's army was actually
at Memphis for stores. By common consent, all
further attempts against Vicksburg, for the present,
were abandoned, and the entire force left the Yazoo
and returned to Milliken's Bend on the Mississippi.

On the 4th of January, McClernand issued his
General Order No. i, assuming command of what
was to be called the Army of the Mississippi, and, fol-
lowing the plan which had been agreed upon at

ACHIEVEMENTS AT VICKSBURG. 299

Washington, and which had been adopted in the
, armies of the East, dividing his forces into two corps.
The "first was to be commanded by General Morgan,
and *vas to be composed of his own and A. J. Smith's
idivi^^ions, and the second to consist of Steele's and
Stuart's divisions, was to be commanded by Gen-
eral Sherman. The rest of the Army of the Tennes-
see was similarly divided, General Hurlbut being
placed in command of one corps, and General Mc-
^Pherson in command of the other. The supreme
command of these four corps was retained by Gen-
'cral Grant. On the same day General Sherman
issued the following order :
I

Headquarters Right Wing Army of Tennessee,
Steamer Forest Queen, Milliken's Bend,
January 4, 1863.

Pursuant to the terms of General Order No. i,
made this day by General McClernand, the tide of our
'army ceases to exist, and constitutes in the future the
Army of the Mississippi, composed of two 'army
corps,' one to be commanded by General G. W. Mor-
o^an, and the other by myself. In relinquishing the
command of the Army of the Tennessee and restrict-
ing my authority to my own corps, I desire to express
to all commanders, to soldiers and officers recendy
3peradng before Vicksburg, my hearty thanks for the
'^eal, alacrity, and courage manifested by them on all
bccasions. We failed in accomplishing one great
purpose of our movement, the capture of Vicksburg,
3ut we were part of a whole. Ours was but part of

300 GENERAL SHERMAN.

a combined movement in which others were to assist
We were on time; unforeseen contingencies must havj
delayed the others.

We have destroyed the Shreveport road, we ha^
attacked the defences of Vicksburg and pushed thj
attack as far as prudence would justify ; and, havinj
found it too strong for our single column, we ha^
drawn off in good order and good spirits, ready fc
any new move. A new commander is now here
lead you. He is chosen by the President of
United States, who is charged by the Constitution
maintain and defend it, and he has the undoubt(
riorht to select his own accents.

I know that all good officers and soldiers will giv(
him the same hearty support and cheerful obedience
they have hitherto given me. There are honors
enough in reserve for all, and work enough, too.
Let each do his appropriate part, and our nation must,
in the end, emerge from the dire conflict purified and
ennobled by the fires which now test its strength and
purity. All officers of the general staff not attached
to my person will hereafter report in person and by
letter to Major-General McClernand, commanding
tlie Army of the Mississippi, on board the steamer
1 igress at our rendezvous at Haines' Landing and at
Montgomery Point.
By order of

Major-General W. T. Sherman.

J. H, Hammond,

Assistant- Adjutant General,

ACHIEVEMENTS AT VICKSBURG. 301

Before the arrival of McClernand, Sherman and
^orter had agreed upon a plan for the reduction of
i^ort Hindman, or, as it was called, Arkansas Post.
\bout forty or forty-five miles from the mouth of the
Arkansas there is a piece of elevated ground, the first
,iigh land on the banks of the river after leaving the
Vlississippi. At this point the river makes a sharp
oend. Here the French had a trading-post and a
.ettlement as far back as 1685.

Sherman Bent on Conquest.

I The Confederates had taken advantage of the place
o erect some fortifications, the principal work being
\amed Fort Hindman, after the famous guerilla chief,
khind these works they kept several steamboats,
vhich were wont to sweep down the river and inter-
ept supplies.

Sherman had experienced some inconvenience from
he existence of this stronghold. He had left Memphis
,Q such haste that he had not been able to take with
iiim a suf^clent supply of ammunition for his guns.
The Blue Wing, a small steamer carrying a mail, towing
jome coal-barges, and having with her the necessary
applies, had been sent after him. This boat had
»een pounced upon at the mouth of the Arkansas,
aptured, and with all her supplies taken up to Fort
iindman.

It was Sherman's conviction, from the moment he
earned of the fate of the Blue Wing, that before any
'peration could be successfully conducted against
/^icksburg by way of the Mississippi it v/ould be neces-

302 GENERAL SHEEMAN.

sary to reduce Fort Hindman and make an end of the
Arkansas pirates.

The Plan Approved.

Sherman communicated his purpose to McClernand,
and asked permission to go up the Arkansas and
clear out the post. McClernand, who had not as yet,
so far as appearances indicated, formed any plan of
his own, went with Sherman on board the Black Hawk
to consult with Porter. Porter, who had the highest
esteem for Sherman, not only approved of the enter-
prise, but expressed a desire to go up the river him-
self, in place of trusting the expedition to any of his
subordinates. It was Sherman's expectation that he
would be sent with his own corps alone on this busi-
ness ; but McClernand concluded to go himself and
to take with him his whole force.

The troops, which had not yet disembarked from
the transports, were ordered to remain on board.
Sherman's corps was in two divisions. The first,
which consisted of three brigades, commanded re-
spectively by Blair, Hovey, and Thayer, was under
Brigadier-General Frederick Steele. The second,
which consisted of two brigades, commanded by
Colonels G. A. Smith and T. Kilby Smith, was under
Brigadier-General Stuart. The transports with the
troops on board, convoyed by the gunboats, of which
three were ironclads, proceeded up the Mississippi.

Expedition ag^ainst Fort Hindman.

The force under McClernand amounted to some
twenty-six thousand or twenty-seven thousand men,

ACHIEVEMENTS AT VICKSBURG. 303

comprising forty regiments of infantry, ten batteries
with several guns of heavy caHbre, and about fifteen
hundred horse. On the 8th of January the expedi-
tion was at the mouth of the White River. This
river, which is one of the principal streams in
Arkansas, rises a few miles east of Fayetteville,
flows north-east into Missouri, then returns into
Arkansas, and, pursuing a south-easterly course,
enters the Mississippi about fifteen miles above the
mouth of the Arkansas River. It is navigable by
steamboats for about three hundred and fifty miles.
About fifteen miles from its mouth there is a chan-
nel or "cut-ofT," through which it discharges a por-
tion of its waters into the Arkansas. If, as some-
I times happens, the Arkansas should be higher than
I the White River, the state of things is reversed, and
the waters of the Arkansas seek the Mississippi
through the channel of the White River. The " cut-
off " at this season of the year is always well filled
' and easily navigable.

A Formidable Stronghold.

I On the morning of the 9th the expedition, having
r ascended the White River, had reached the mouth of
the "cut-off" There was no delay in making the
passage through to the Arkansas, a distance of about
eight miles. Steaming up the Arkansas, the boats
' reached Notrib's farm, about four miles below Fort
Hindman, shortly after four o'clock in the afternoon
Here they halted, and during the night the artillery
and wagons were got on shore, the troops disembark-

304 GENERAL SHERMAN.

ing in the morning. Arkansas Post is on the north
side or left bank of the Arkansas, at a point where
the river makes a sharp elbow by flowing north, then
east, then again abruptly to the south. The principal
work, as we have said, was Fort Hindman. Its guns
commanded the river as it stretched to the east and
after it bent toward the south. This fort was a reofu
lar square bastioned work, one hundred yards each
exterior side, with a deep ditch about fifteen feet
wide and a parapet eighteen feet high. It was armed
with twelve guns, two of which were eight-inch and
one nine-inch.

Hold the Fort or Die.

The garrison, which numbered only five thousand
men, was under the command of General T. J.
Churchill, who was under the direction of General
T. H. Holmes, then commanding at Little Rock.
Churchill had received instructions to " hold on until
}ie!p should arrive or all were dead." This order
showed the spirit of the enemy.

The disparity of forces was great. It was twenty-
six thousand or twenty-seven thousand against five
thousand. The strong position held by the Confed-
erates, however, did much to compensate for inferiority
of numbers. The fort itself was strong, and its ap
proaches were of the most difficult description.
Fronting on the river, it was protected on the west
by a bayou, on the east by a swamp which did not
quite reach the edge of the water. Between the fort
and the swamp there was a ravine which stretched

ACHIEVEMENTS AT VICKSBURG. 305

down to the river, and the front of this ravine was
well fortified.

The position had thus to be approached through
the elevated ground which lay between the bayou and
the swamp. The encampments of the Confederates
were established in front of the fort, in the centre of
the plateau dotted with clumps of trees. There was
an outer line of intrenchments which stretched across
the entire ground.

Vigrorous Bombardment.

On the loth the army was kept busy endeavoring
to get a position in rear of the fort, Sherman on the
right and Morgan on the left. Some mistakes were
made in consequence of a want of knowledge of the
ground. In the afternoon, and while the land forces
were still seeking position. Porter was making good
use of his flotilla. As he moved up the river he
shelled the rifle-pits along the levee and drove the
Confederates inside the fort. When about four hun-
dred yards from Fort Hindman he brought into action
[lis three iron-clads, the Baron de Kalb, the Louisville,
md the Cincinnati, and for half an hour the firing was
<:ept up, the guns of the fort replying vigorously and
A^ith rapidity.

On the morning of the nth, McClernand, who had
lis quarters still on board the Tigress, had come up
md taken a position in the woods to the rear. Early
n the forenoon he sent a message to Sherman, asking
lim why the attack was not begun. It had been un-
lerstood beforehand that the opening of fire by the

20

306 GENERAL SHERMAN.

gunboats on the fort should be the signal for a general
attack.

The Thunder of Guns.

Sherman therefore replied that all was ready ; that
he was within five or six hundred yards of the enemy's
works ; that the next movement must be a direct
assault along the whole line ; and that he was waiting
to hear from the gunboats. Half an hour or there-
about afterward was heard the clear, ringing sound
of the navy guns, the firing becoming louder and more
rapid as they neared the fort.

The National field-pieces opened fire along the
whole line. The thunder was terrific. The Con-
federates, most of whom were Texan volunteers, made
a gallant resistance. A regiment of cavalry, aban-
doning their horses, fought on foot, and rendered for
a time effective service in resisting the advance of the
Nationals. It was impossible for them to resist the
fierce onset made by overwhelming numbers resolved
to win or die.

A Storm of Bullets.

Sherman pressed forward on the right, Morgan on
the left, each driving the Confederates back and grad-
aally obtaining possession of the wooded ground in
front of the newly-erected parapet, but not without
considerable loss. The Confederate firing was heavy,
but the National soldiers took advantage of the clumps
of trees and felled logs to shield themselves from the
storm of bullets. Gradually the edge of the wood^
was reached, the ground was clear, and there was

VU"K^RTTR^, AND T'l^ A PPT? O A( H KS.

308 GENERAL SHERMAN.

nothing to protect them from the decimating fire of
the eneni)'.

Meanwhile, the gunboats were pouring a murder-
ous fire upon the fort and sweeping the adjoining
ground above and below with grape and shrapnel.
Porter had brought into action not only the iron-clads,
but the ram Monarch, Commander Ellet, and even the
frailer vessels, as he tells us, that amid the clouds of
smoke they might " do the best they could."

The Fort Silenced.

It was not long until the effects of this terrific firing
began to be visible. All the adjoining ground was
cleared of the foe ; nearly all the artillery-horses in
the fort were killed ; and one by one the guns were
beincr silenced. Shortly after three o'clock the firing^
from the fort altogether ceased. The cannonading^
however, was kept up by the gunboats. Porter, who
had taken a regiment on board, was proceeding with
the Black Hawk to attempt a landing and to take
possession, when a white flag was raised in token of
surrender. He immediately ordered the firing to
cease.

We left the troops in the clearing at the edge of
the woods, fully exposed to the enemy's fire from the
parapet outside the fort. This line had three sections
of field-guns, and they were handled, according to the
testimony of Sherman himself, with great skill and
energy. Hovey was Vv^ounded ; Thayer had his horse
shot under him ; and so thick and fast were the round-
shot falling about Sherman and his staff that they felt

ACHIEVEMENTS AT VICKSBUKG. 309

it necessary to scatter, Sherman himself dismounting.
Morgan at this crisis unfortunately found himself in
front of the ravine, beyond which it was impossible
to pass.

Prodigies of Valor.

Sherman was now well engaged on the right, and
Morgan, finding himself thus hindered, sent a few
rei^iments to his aid. The burden of the fiofht, as at
Chickasaw, had fallen on the brigades which now
composed the division of General Steele. Blair and
Thayer and Hovey performed prodigies of valor.

On the right the Confederate batteries had been all
but silenced. Morgan's men, on the left, had done
splendid work before they were brought to a standstill
at the ravine. A. J. Smith's brigades had pressed the
Confederates back step by step until they were within
two hundred yards of the fort. Burbridge expressly
distinguished himself But for the ravine an attempt
would have been made by the One-hundred-and-
Twentieth Ohio to scale and carry by assault the
eastern side of the fort.

Almost at this moment, however, Sherman, as his
attention was arrested by the flags of the gunboats
visible above the parapet of Fort Hindman, saw a
man jump on the nearer parapet at the point where
entered the road which divided the peninsula. " Cease
firing ! " he ordered, and the words were passed along
the line with amazing rapidity. The firing soon
ceased. Sherman knew that something extraordinary
was going on, and so gave this order.

310 GENERAL SHERMAN.

The White Flag.

In a few seconds the fort was invaded on every
side by the National troops. Colonel Dayton was
ordered forward to the place where was hung out the
large white flag, and as soon as his horse was seen
on the parapet Sherman advanced with his staff. It
appeared afterward that the white flag was hung out
without even the knowledge of Churchill. It made
little difference. The batde had really been won on
the land as well as on the river side of the fort. The
surrender was subsequently made in due form — Col-
onel Dunnington, the commander of the fort, sur-
rendering to Admiral Porter, and Colonel Churchill
surrendering to the military authorities.

The National loss in killed, wounded, and missing
amounted to nine hundred and seventy-seven men.
On the Confederate side there were only sixty killed
and eighty wounded. Five thousand soldiers, with
their officers, made prisoners, and all the property of
the place, including some seventeen guns, consti-
tuted the prize of victory. General Burbridge was
singled out for the honor of planting the National
standard on Fort Hindman. Such was the battle of
Arkansas Post.

Sherman Rohbed of his Honors.

General Sherman was dissatisfied with the arrange-
ments made by General McClernand immediately
after the surrender. The post of honor, the occupa-
tion of Fort Hindman, was given to A. J. Smith of
Morgan's division, Sherman being ordered to hold

ACHIEVEMENTS AT VICKSBURG. 311

the lines outside and go on securing the prisoners
and stores. McClernand's reason for so doing was that
he did not wish to interfere with the actual state of
facts — the status quo at the time of surrender.

It is undeniable that it was Sherman's plan through-
out ; that his corps bore the burden of the fight ; that
after the surrender his troops were in possession of
two of the three brigades which constituted the op-
posing force ; and that he was in possession of all the
ground outside the *' fort proper." McClernand was
proud of his success and manifested not a little
vanity. His star, he said, was ever in the ascendant.

In his memoirs Sherman tells us that McClernand
was extremely jealous of the navy, and that in his re-
port he ignored altogether the action of Porter s fleet.
This was the less to be regretted that Porter told his
own story in a very handsome and effective way. It
is only simple truth to say that the battle was fought
and won by the fleet before the land troops had any
certainty of success.

Petty Rivalry.

There was. In fact, a feeling of jealousy among the
commanders — a feeling which was not wholly to dis-
appear until the arrival of Grant, In whose presence,
and under the influence of whose more commanding
genius, jealousy and selfishness gave place to a spirit
of honorable rivalry and dutiful obedience.

The day after the batde was devoted to burying
the dead. The prisoners were all collected and sent
to St. Louis. The victory at Arkansas Post opened

31 2 GENEKAL SHERMAN. |:

the way for a successful expedition to Little Rock,
the capital of the State of Arkansas. Sherman ex-
pressed a desire to be sent on this expedition. Mc-
Clernand, however, did not deem it advisable. A
combined expedition was therefore sent up the White
River as far as St. Charles, Des Arc, and Duval's
Bluff under General Gorman and Lieutenant-com-
manding J. G. Walker. The expedition was com-
pletely successful.

Meanwhile, the works at Fort Hindman were dis-
mantled and blown up, and on the 13th the troops
were re-embarked and proceeded down the Arkansas
to Napoleon. There instructions were received from
General Grant, who ordered McClernand to take the
entire expedition down the river to Milliken's Bend
and await his arrival. This place was reached on the
2 1 St of January.

The Second Assault.

In itself, the movement against Arkansas Post was
a small affair ; it was so regarded by General Grant ;
it ought to have been successfully accomplished by
one corps and by a portion of the fleet — instead of
the combined strength of both — and that was Sher-
man's idea ; but resulting as it did in victory, it served
the double purpose of employing troops which would
otherwise have been idle, and of cheering the hearts
of a people who were somewhat despondent.

In the Vicksburg campaign which succeeded, Sher-
man bore a prominent part with his command — in the
expedition up Steele's Bayou to the Yazoo in March;

ACHIEVEMENTS AT VICKSBUBG. 313

the feint upon Haines' Bluff, April 29 to May i ; the
movement to Grand Gulf, May i to 6 ; the capture of
Jackson, May 14; the occupation of Walnut Hills, and
'subsequent assaults upon the land-defences of Vicks-
burg, May 19 and 22, in each attempt the colors of
the corps being planted on the enemy's works ; and
in the siege operations which resulted in the sur-
render of the city July 4, 1863, when Sherman with
a detached command was at once ordered to pursue
Johnston, who with a relieving force had been lying
east of the Big Black, but retreating hastily on the
news of the surrender. By the loth he was driven
behind the intrenchments of Jackson. Siege opera-
tions were actively pressed, but on the night of the
1 6th Johnston succeeded in escaping, thus proving
himself to be the " hero of retreats." Steele's divis-
on pursued to Brandon, and after destroying the
-ailroads in all directions Sherman fell back to the
-vest of the Big Black, along which he lay when sum-
noned, September 22, to the relief of Rosecrans's
)eleaguered army at Chattanooga. Meanwhile he
lad been appointed brigadier-general in the regular
irmy, to date from July 4. By the 27th of September
he last of his command were embarked at Vicksburtr
.nd by October 4, Memphis was reached, whence he
narched eastward, repairing the railroad as he pro-
eeded, until the 27th, when orders reached him at
Puscumbia from General Grant, who had superseded
vosecrans, to abandon all work and hasten on to
Chattanooga.

CHAPTER XVII.
Sherman's Superb Valor at Chattanooga.

After Vicksburg came the battle of Chickamaugc
It was a Confederate victory, but it was barren o
results. The losses on both sides were heavy. Th
Nationals lost sixteen thousand three hundred an
fifty men and fifty-one guns. The Confederates 1
about eighteen thousand. Chickamauga was a bat
almost without a plan. It resulted to the credit o
neither of the generals-in-chief. It made an end 0|
General Rosecrans, and nearly ruined Bragg. It
but one hero, and that was General Thomas. "Tl
Rock of Chickamauga " will live for ever in America, ^
history. |

After the battle of Chickamauga, Rosecrans pre
ceeded to throw up fortifications around Chattanoogc
In this work he found an able and efficient assistan
in General James St. Clair Morton. Within twent}
four hours after falling back from Rossville he wa
strongly intrenched — so strongly that Bragg coul'
not, with safety, venture upon an offensive movemen'
Bragg, in truth, was in great trouble. He felt bitte
disappointment because the late battle had no
resulted in more complete success. He was dissatis
fied with the conduct of several of his officers. H
had not lost the confidence of Jefferson Davis, bu

314

VALOR AT CHATTANOOGA. 315

with the authorities at Richmond generally he was in
bad odor. He was expected by them to perform
impossibilities.

The suggestions offered him were as numerous as
they were absurd. Bragg, however, had will enough
to abide by his own counsel, and sense enough to at-
tempt the one thing which was practicable. If he
could not force his way into Chattanooga, he might
at least starve the Army of the Cumberland into sub-
mission or retreat.

Tactics of Brag-g".

With this end in view the Confederate general
drew a cordon around the city and interrupted or cut
off the various lines of communication. He made

1 himself master of the south bank of the Tennessee,
opposite Moccasin Point, and then broke the line of
communication between Chattanooga and Bridgeport.
He destroyed the bridge at the latter place, and thus
severed the communication with Nashville, the base

i of supplies.

The Army of the Cumberland became a cause of
great anxiety to the authorities at Washington. It
was felt that if something were not done to relieve
it, and that quickly, the army ran the risk of being
utterly destroyed, and Chattanooga and East Ten-
nessee would again be brought under Confederate
rule. In these circumstances the Government fell
back on the conqueror of Vicksburg. Grant was

j ordered to Chattanooga to take sole command. He
was then at New Orleans, confined by an injury sus-

316

GENERAL SHERMAN.

tained in falling from his horse. As soon as he was
able he hastened to Indianapolis, where he met Stan-
ton, the Secretary of War, and received from his
hands the order appointing him to the command of
the new military Division of the Mississippi, compris-

WAT£f1S'S0I^JJ.r.

POSITIONS OF THE ARMIES AT THE BATTLE OF CHICKAMAUGA.

ing the three departments and armies of the Ohio,
the Cumberland, and the Tennessee. By the same
order General Rosecrans was relieved of the com-
mand of the Department and Army of the Ten-
nessee.

At the request of General Grant, the Department of
the Cumberband was oriven to Thomas, and that of the

VALOK AT CHATTANOOGA.

317

MAJOR-GENERAL W. ROSECRANS.

Tennessee to Sherman. On the i8th of October, 1863,
Grant having arrived at Louisville, formally assumed
the command and issued
his first order. Rosecrans
on the 19th, after Issuing
a touchino- farewell address

o

■to the troops, left for Cln-

'cinnati. Thither also were

ordered Generals McCook

and Crittenden, whose corps

were now consolidated into

one. From Louisville, Grant

telegraphed to Thomas,

" Hold Chattanooga at all

hazards." — " I will hold the town until we starve,"

was the prompt and characteristic reply.

It was not enough, however, to bring Grant to
Chattanooga. It was necessary that he should
have under him a competent army. Arrangements
had already been made for Increasing the strength of
the National army at Chattanooga. As soon as it
became known that General Longstreet had gone to
Tennessee, instructions were sent to Grant and other
commanders in the South and West to send Rose-
crans all possible assistance. Grant was yet at New
Orleans, and as Sherman, who represented him at
Vicksburg, did not receive the despatch until several
days had elapsed, there was some unavoidable delay
in sending reinforcements from the neighborhood of
Vicksburg.

318

GENERAL -SHERMAN.

As early as the 27th of September, Sherman, with I
the Fifteenth corps, in obedience to the orders from
Grant, had set out for Memphis on his way to Chat-
tanooga. Meanwhile, fearful of the consequences
which must result if Rosecrans should be tempted to

LANDING AT LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

abandon his position and attempt to retreat, the Gov-
ernment had detached the Eleventh and Twelfth
corps from the Army of the Potomac, and, placing
them in charge of General Hooker, hurried them
along by rail to Chattanooga.

VALOE AT CHATTANOOGA. 319

Never before, not even at Solferino and Magenta,
had railroads been more effectively used for trans-
porting troops and all the necessary material of war
than on this occasion. It was Stanton's project, and
in giving it effect he bent upon it all the energies of
his powerful mind and will. In seven days the two
corps, some twenty-three thousand strong, with artil-
lery-trains, baggage, and animals, were transferred
from the Rapidan to Stevenson, Alabama, a distance
of 1 192 miles.

The Situation Critical.

Grant reached Nashville on the 21st of October.

[He there met and had an interview with Rosecrans

land Hooker. On the 23d he arrived at Chattanooga.

j Next morning he made a recon-
noissance of the ground and

i determined on his plan of ac-

j tion. He found that Rosecrans
had allowed the enemy to oc-
cupy all the heights around his
position, and that neither the

I river nor the railroad could be

! used. Unless the river or the maj.-gen. jos. hooker.
roads could be opened there was no choice but re-
ireat; and retreat, in the present condition of the
army, would be certain ruin.

' Thomas anrl his chief engineer, General William F.
Smith, had decided upon a plan by which they hoped
to be able to regain possession of Lookout Valley
and to re-establish communications with Bridgeport

GENEKAL SHERMAN.

by way of Brown's Ferry. Hooker, by order
Thomas, had already concentrated at the latter plac
This plan met the hearty approval of General Grai
who proceeded Immediately to put it in executloi
Hooker was to cross the Tennessee at Bridgepol

THE PONTOON-BRIDGE.

and push on by the main wagon-road to Wauhatchie
in Lookout Valley.

Palmer, who was now opposite Chattanooga, was
to move down the north side ot the river to a point
opposite Whiteside, where he was to cross the river
and hold the road passed over by Hooker. W. F.
Smith was to q-q down the river from Chattanooea,
under cover of the darkness, with about four thousand

VALOR AT CHATTANOOGA. 321

troops, to cross at Brown's Ferry and to seize the
range of hills at the mouth of Lookout Valley. A
pontoon-bridge was to be thrown over the river at
Brown's Ferry, so as to open communications between
Hooker and Thomas. The movements of Hooker
and Palmer might be made in open day, but Smith's
success depended largely on secrecy. These move-
bents were prompdy and successfully executed, and
jwere of great importance.

The Question of Supplies Settled.
I The Confederates, unwilling to abandon the position,
bade a fierce attack; but, finding their efforts useless,
Ichey withdrew up the valley toward Chattanooga.
The remainder of Smith's force, some twelve hun-
red strong, under General Turchin, having moved
eanwhile down the north bank of the stream, across
loccasin Point, reached Browm's Ferry before day-
ight. They were rapidly ferried across, and by ten
b'clock a pontoon-bridge connected the north and
isouth banks of the Tennessee. On the morning of
the 28th, as has been stated, Hooker, with the Elev-
enth corps, Major-General Howard, and Geary's
'division of the Twelfth corps, appeared in Lookout
Valley at Wauhatchie, his left connecting with Smith
at the pontoon-bridge.

These movements secured for the Nationals the
possession of the roads and the river, and all fears
3f starvadon in Chattanooga were now abandoned,
'General Thomas's plan," said Grant in his telegram
bo Halleck, " for securing the river and southside road
21

322 GENERAL SHERMAN.

:o Bridgeport has proved eminently successful. The
question of supplies may now be regarded as settled."

Brag-g's Stubborn Resistance.

Bragg was not willing that his antagonist shouldl
retain the great advantage he had won without making
another attempt to dislodge him. Lookout Valley,!
which lies between Raccoon and Lookout mountains,
and which has an average width of about two miles,
is divided toward its centre by a series of wood-
crowned heights, some of them rising to an elevation
of two hundred and three hundred feet.

These heights, as well as the more commanding
positions on Raccoon and Lookout mountains, were
in the hands of the Confederates. From these emi-
nences the position and
movements of the National
army could be easily seen.
McLaws, of Longstreet's
^^^^^^S^,.-,;!S* ^^x corps, was on Lookout

Mountain, eagerly watching
Hooker. It was his deter-
mination to fall upon and
crush that branch of the
National army so soon as

MAJ -GEN. O. O. HOWARD. 111

he should see a favorable
opportunity. On the night of the 28th, Geary's di-
vision, on Hooker's right, was lying at Wauhatchie,
Howard's corps, as has been mentioned, having been
thrown out in the direction of Brown's Ferry. Mc-
Laws, desirous to take Geary by surprise, descended

VALOR AT CHATTANOOGA.

32S

at midnight, and with fierce energy, his men uttering
wild screams as they advanced, fell upon Geary's
pickets, driving them in.

DIAGRAM I.

CHATTANOOGA, LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, AND MISSIONARY RIDGE.

The batteries on Lookout Mountain now opened
ire, and while Geary's camp was furiously attacked
)n three different sides by the on-rushIng Confeder-
ites, his men were exposed to a very tempest of shot
uid shell. Geary, however, was not unprepared.

S24 GENERAL SHERMAN.

Knowing that he was Hable to be attacked at any
moment, he had been holding himself in a state of
readiness. When, therefore, McLaws' men came up
they were warmly received.

Full in the faces of the too-confident Confederates
Geary's brave fellows poured a deadly fire of mus-
ketry. Such a reception had not been expected.
The advancing columns recoiled. Geary, however,
was greatly outnumbered, and the battle continued.
Hooker was aroused by the booming of cannon and
the shrill rattling of musketry. He knew, from the
direction whence these sounds issued, that Geary had
been attacked. Howard was ordered to double-quick
his nearest division, that of Schurz, to the aid of
Geary.

** Forward, Boys ! "

"Forward to their relief, boys!" shouted Hooker
as Schurz's men streamed past him through the dark-
ness. They had advanced but a short distance when,
suddenly, there came a blaze of musketry from the
hills, showing that the Confederates were close at
hand, as well as in force in the neighborhood of
Geary's position. Tyndale's brigade was detached
and ordered to charge the heights, while Schurz, with ij
the remainder of his troops, moved on toward Geary.
A thin brigade of Steinwehr's division, commanded by
Colonel Orlan Smith of the Seventy-third Ohio, now
came up, and it was found that the hill to the rear of
Schurz was occupied by the enemy.

This hill Smith was ordered to carry with the bay-

VALOR AT CHATTANOOGA. 325

I onet. The moon was shining bright and clear, but
the hill was precipitous, seamed with ravines, covered
with thick brushwood, and rose to the height of two
hundred feet. It was a daring — it seemed almost a

j foolhardy — experiment ; but the order had been given
and it must be obeyed. On and up the slope rushed
the brave fellows of the Seventy-third Ohio and of
the Thirty-third Massachusetts, until they had almost
reached the rifle-pits, when they were received by a
volley from some two thousand muskets and driven
back in confusion to the foot of the hill,

A Grand Charge.

There, however, they re-formed, and, although now
fully aware of the nature of the ground and of the
difficulties to be encountered, those noble regiments
again breasted the hill, and in spite of the destructive
. volleys which tore through their ranks, and the shout-
ing and yelling and taunting sneers of the men on
the summit, they pressed on, without firing a shot,
; toward the blazing rifle-pits, and then, with one bound,
! bayonet in hand, swept the enemy before them.
, It was not until the enemy was in full retreat and
^1 until shouts of victory were rending the midnight air
that the first volley was fired. It was a sort of parting
salute, given in a species of wild glee by the Nation-
j als, but not particularly agreeable to the retreating
i foe, and not likely soon to be forgotten by any of the
I Confederates who survived that moonlight struggle.
Geary meanwhile, although contending with vastly
superior numbers and sometimes nearly overborne,

326 GENEHAL SHERMAN.

held his ground with characteristic tenacity, and at
length, after three hours' fighting, he hurled his as-
sailants back toward Lookout Mountain.

Historic Deeds.

The charge made by Orlan Smith has been singled
out as one of the most brilliant charges of the war. It
delighted and astonished Hooker. *' No troops," he
said, " ever rendered more brilliant service." It won
special commendation from so reserved a man as
Thomas. " The bayonet charge of Howard's troops,"
said he in his letter of congratulation to Hooker,
'' made up the side of a steep and difficult hill over
two hundred feet high, completely routing and driving
the enemy from his barricades on its top, and the re-
pulse by Geary's division of greatly superior numbers
who attempted to surprise him, will rank among the
most distinguished feats of arms in this war."

Sliernian Pushing- Forward.

While these events were taking place at Chattanoo-
ga, Sherman was pressing forward from Memphis. He
had left Vicksbuig for Memphis, on his way to Chatta-
nooga, on the 27th of September. His own corps
followed him up the river in steamboats. He had
been preceded by the divisions of Osterhaus and John
E. Smith. Arriving at Memphis on the 2d of October,
he received a letter from Halleck instructing him to
move by the line of the Memphis and Charleston rail-
road to Athens, and to report thence to Rosecrans at
Chattanooga.

He was to repair the railroads as he advanced and

VALOB AT CHATTANOOGA.

327

to depend on his own line for supplies. On his way
to Corinth, on Sunday, the nth, having with him as
an escort a battalion of the Thirteenth regulars, he
arrived at Colliersville about noon, just in time to save
the Sixty-sixth Indiana, Colonel D. C. Anthony, from
being overwhelmed and probably destroyed by a body
of Confederate cavalry, some three thousand strong
with eight guns, under the command of General
Chalmers.

Rapid Advances.

He reached Corinth that Sunday evening. With-
out delay he pushed on to luka. At Tuscumbia, on
the 27th, his advance, under General PVank Blair,
came into contact with a Con-
federate force some five thou-
sand strong, under General S.
D. Lee. The Confederate cav-
alry were severely punished,
and Lee gave no further an-
noyance to the troops on their
march. The National troops
had been repairing the roads
as they moved along, in obedi-
ence to instructions received from Halleck. On the
same day on which Blair chastised Lee, Sherman
received a despatch from Grant urging him to dis
continue his work on the railroad and hasten forward
with all possible despatch, with his entire force, to
Bridgeport.

Happily, he had made arrangements with Admiral

ADMIRAL PORTER.

328

GENERAL SHERMAN.

Porter to have boats waiting for him at Eastport. By
means of these he passed his troops across the Ten-
nessee and hurried eastward, Blair covering his rear,
and reached Bridgeport on the 14th. On the day fol-
lowing he joined Grant at Chattanooga, and the two
together reconnoitred the ground, Grant explaining
his proposed plan of attack so soon as the Army of
the Tennessee was forward and ready for action.

'*Okl Teciimseli" there.

Sherman arrived at Chattanooga at a most oppor-
tune moment. It seemed as if the fates were working
in the interest of General Grant and the army under
his command. The plans of the general commanding
had worked to perfection ; they had been admirably
carried out, and they had been attended, so far, with
complete success.

And now, when Sherman, his trusted right arm,
came up with his well-trained veterans, Bragg had
invited attack by committing a huge and irreparable

blunder. It was known
to the Confederate com-
mander that Burnside at
an earlier date had gen-
eral instructions to push
forward from Knoxville
and form a connection with
Rosecrans. Believing that
if such a connection were
MAj.-GEN. A. E. BURNSIDE. uow formed it would be

fatal to his prospects, and in the vain hope of cutting

VALOR AT CHATTANOOGA. 329

his rival off and beating him in detail, he detached
Longstreet from the army in front of Chattanooga
and ordered him to attack Burnside and take pos-
session of Knoxville. A more fatal blunder he could
not have committed. He could not, had such been
his object, have played more completely into the
hands of his antagonist. Grant saw his opportunity,
but he resolved to wait until the arrival of Sherman,
so as to be able to turn it to full and satisfactory
account He was now ready.

Burnside Hemmed in.

Grant was not insensible to the perilous position
in which Burnside was now placed, nor was he in-
different to his calls for help. But he knew that
Burnside would be relieved most effectually by the
plan which he himself proposed to carry out — that
the threatened catastrophe at Knoxville would be
best averted by a decisive victory at Chattanooga.

The great battle of Chattanooga — by far the most
picturesque battle in the war — was now about tc
be fought. Grant's plans, as we have seen, were
matured and ready for execution. It was now the
middle of November. Sherman's corps had arrived
at Bridgeport on the 14th. Grant made up his mind
to make the general attack on the 21st. He had
discovered that the north end of the Missionary
Ridge was imperfectly guarded, as also the western
bank of the river from the mouth of the South
Chickamauga down toward Chattanooga. This point
invited attack. This, however, was not all. A sue-

330 GENERAL SHERMAN.

cessful blow given in that direction would make a
junction impossible between Bragg and Longstreet.
The northern end of Missionary Ridge therefore he
singled out as the special point of attack. While
the attack should seem to be general and bearing
heavily on the Confederate left, he proposed to mass
his converging forces on the point thus indicated.

Sherman's Difficulties.

Sherman, with his own troops and one of Thomas's
divisions, was to cross the Tennessee just below the
mouth of the South Chickamauga, and secure the
heights as far as the railroad tunnel. Thomas was to
co-operate with Sherman by concentrating his troops
on his own left, leavino^ a thin line to ouard the works
on the rio^ht and centre. Hooker was to assail the
Confederate left and drive it from Lookout Mountain.
Grant was the more anxious to make the attack on
the 2 1 St that on the day before he received from
Bragg a letter suggesting the removal of non-com-
batants from Chattanooga — a letter intended to convey
the idea that an attack on that place was meditated,
but which really confirmed the report brought by a
deserter, and confirmed Grant in the belief that Bragg
was about to retreat.

The general attack which was to be made on the
2 1 St was countermanded. Sherman had experienced
unexpected difficulty in passing his troops across
Brown's Ferry in consequence of the heavy rains.
The pontoon-bridge at last gave way. Osterhaus,
whose division was still on the southern side of the

GENERAL JAMES LONGSTREET.

831

332 GENERAL SHERMAN.

river and without the means of crossing, was ordered
to report to General Hooker, with whom he remained.
Howard was at the same time called to Chattanooga^
and temporarily attached to the command of General
Thomas. On the afternoon of the 23d the Fifteenth
corps, under the immediate command of General Blair,
having flung pontoon-bridges across the Tennessee
at the point indicated above, and also across the
Chickamauga, were advancing to their position on the
extreme left of the National army.

Grant, now impatient of delay, and determined that
if Bragg really meant to retire, he should not retire
uninjured and in good order, had instructed Thomas
on the morning of the 23d to advance and give the
enemy an opportunity of developing his lines.

Brilliant Scene.

The day was unusually beautiful. The men, now
that they were relieved from their prison-house in
Chattanooga and well fed, were in excellent spirits.
They were dressed in their best uniforms and accom-
panied by new bands of music. The neighboring
heights were crowded with spectators. The magnifi
cent array, the steady step, the splendid uniforms, the
burnished bayonets glittering in the clear November
sunlight, — it was a holiday picture. It seemed a dress-
parade or review, and was so regarded for a time by
the Confederates, who witnessed the spectacle from
the side and summit of Missionary Ridge.

Wood's division of Granger's corps moved in ad-
vance on the left, Sheridan's division of the same

VALOR AT CHATTANOOGA.

333

corps being on the right. Palmer of the Fourteenth
corps supported Granger's right, with Baird's division
refused ; Johnson's division of Palmer's remaining
under arms in the intrenchments, to be ready to rein-
force at any point. Howard's corps was formed in

MISSIONARY RIDGE FROM THE CEMETERY AT CHATTANOOGA.

mass behind that of Granger. As soon as Thomas's
men began to move forward the heavy guns of Fort
Wood opened upon the enemy's first position.

Upon the ramparts of the fort Grant, Thomas,
Granger, and Howard stood watching the advance.
It was a splendid sight. On moved the mighty mass
as if it had been one solid unit. Cheers were heard
to arise from the ranks of the advancing columns.
The pickets of the enemy were seen to break and fly
in confusion before them. In spite of the well-
directed fire from Its summit, Wood had already
reached the base of Orchard Knob, a steep, craggy
hill rising above the general level of the valley,

334 GENERAL SHERMAN.

midway between the river and the ridge and about a
mile from Fort Wood.

Without halting-, Wood ordered his men to charge.
It was done in gallant style, the rifle-pits on the
summit being carried and two hundred men made
prisoners. A heavy battery was advanced to the
captured position from Fort Wood, and the place was
held. This was an important gain to the Nationals
and they made the most of it.

Simultaneously with this movement of General
Thomas against Orchard Knob, a cavalry brigade by
order of General Grant was operating on Bragg's
extreme right and rear. No other movement of any
consequence took place on the 23d.

Sherman on Missionary Ridge.

Sherman all night through was pushing his troops
across the river. As early as daylight on the morn-
ing of the 24th he had eight thousand men, with artil-
lery and horses, on the south side of the Tennessee.
At one o'clock p. m. the march was taken up by three
columns, each head of column covered by a line of
skirmishers with supports. It was a dull, drizzly day.
The clouds were low, and the movements of the
troops could not be easily seen by the enemy.

At half-past three o'clock Sherman had possession
of the whole northern extremity of Missionary Ridge,
as far almost as the railroad tunnel. In the afternoon
and during the night he threw up intrenchments and
established himself in a really strong position. Sher-
man had thus, so far, carried out his part of the gen-

VALOE AT CHATTANOOGA. 335

eral plan. Such was the state of things on the
National left at the close of Tuesday, the 24th.

On the National right matters were, If possible,
even more favorable. Hooker had performed a bril-
liant feat of arms on Lookout Mountain. At four
o'clock on the morning of the 24th he had reported
that his troops were in position and ready to advance.
Soon afterward the movement commenced. It had
been Hookers intention to push his men across
Lookout Creek and strike the enemy in front. It
was a hazardous undertaking, for Lookout Mountain,
with its high palisaded crest, its steep, rugged slopes,
its numerous rifle-pits, its encircling lines of earth-
works and redans, was deemed by Bragg Impreg-
nable.

It so happened, however, that Lookout Creek was
so swollen by the recent hee y rains that it was im-
passable. A direct movement by the main road could
not be attempted until temporary bridges were con-
structed. Hooker therefore ordered Geary, with his
own division and Whittaker's brigade of Cruft's divis-
ion, to march to Wauhatchie, to cross the creek there,
and move down on the right bank, while he employed
the remainder of his forces In throwing bridges across
on the main road.

The day was favorable for conducting such opera-
tions. A heavy mist enveloped the mountain and
spread itself over the adjoining valleys. The atten-
tion of the enemy had been drawn to the bridge-
builders, of whom an occasional glimpse could be had

336 GENERAL SHERMAN.

as the mist drifted with the breeze ; but no notice had
been taken of Geary, who reached his appointed place
at Wauhatchie unobserved.

The Confederates Surprised.

It was about eight o'clock when he began to cross
the creek. Passing over without molestation, he sur-
prised and captured the picket-guard, and, immediately
facing to the north, he extended his line on the right
to the base ot the mountain. The Confederates,
caught at once on both flank and rear, offered a stub-
born resistance. Meanwhile, the bridges were con-
structed, and, Osterhaus's division having been brought
up from Brown's Ferry, the Nationals were soon in
great force on the right bank of the creek. Under
cover of the two batteries — the Ohio on Bald Hill, and
the New York on the hill in the rear — Hooker's men
went dashing down the valley, sweeping everything
before them, capturing the rifle-pits, and making a
large number of prisoners.

At the same time, the troops to the right, passing
directly under the muzzles of the Confederate guns,
were rushing up the rugged sides of the hill, leaping
over boulders and ledges of rock, cutting their way
through the abattis, and gradually forcing position
after position until the plateau was cleared and the
retreating Confederates were seen plunging them-
selves down the jagged and precipitous face of the
mountain, and flying in confusion and utter rout
toward Chattanooga Valley. Hooker had not ex-
pected to accomplish so much in the same space of

VALOR AT CHATTANOOGA. 337

time. Nay, he had been unwilHng that his men should
attempt so much.

The Men would not Halt.

Not knowing to what extent the enemy might be
reinforced, and fearing disaster from the rough cha-
racter of the ground, he had given directions that the
men should halt when they reached the high ground.
But aroused to the highest pitch of enthusiasm
and with a flying foe before them, a halt was im-
possible.

It was now about two o'clock in the afternoon, and
such was the density of the mist which shrouded the
mountain and hung heavily over the valley that it was
found necessary, temporarily at least, to suspend
operations. Hooker, not deeming it advisable to
descend into the valley in pursuit, established his line
on the east side of the mountain, his right resting on
the palisades, his left near the mouth of Chattanooga
Creek.

The battle had literally been fought above the
:louds. It was not until nightfall that the sky cleared,
and revealed to thousands in the valley below the
ictual progress which Hooker had made. As soon as
t became known that behind that veil of clouds a
^reat batde had been fought and won, and that the
NTational arms had been victorious, the soldiers gave
A^ay to the wildest enthusiasm, and loud cheers for
'Old Hooker" coming up, resounding from the valley,
vere echoed and re-echoed among the blood-stained
lills.

?2

338 GENERAL SHEEMAN.

The night which followed was beautiful In the
extreme. The mist disappeared, and a full moon
shed her mellow lio^ht over a scene of matchless mao-.
nificence. It was Hooker's conviction that the enemy
would withdraw from the summit of the mountain
before daylight. In anticipation of such a movement
he detached parties from several regiments with in-
structions to scale the palisades. When morning
came the Confederates were gone.

Frowning Artillery.

Such was the condition of things on the night of
the 24th and the morning of the 25th of November.
The National army maintained an unbroken line,
with open communications from the north end of
Lookout Mountain through the Chattanooga Valley,
to the north end of Missionary Ridge.

The morning of the 25th rose in beauty. Far
almost as the eye could reach the sun fell upon the
compact lines of polished steel. In front, towering
up, the huge form of Missionary Ridge, its precipitous
sides defying attack, its summit swarming with armed
men and crowned with artillery; away to the right
and standinor out clear and well defined the bold out-
lines of Lookout Mountain ; Hooker's men spread out
in the valley below to the right, Sherman's massed in
compact phalanx above to the left, while Thomas's
well-trained bands, eager and ready for the fray, are
gathered together in close array around the head-
quarters of the chief, — such was the sight which met
the eye of the beholder as he stood on Orchard Knob

VALOR AT CHATTANOOGA. 339

on the morning of the day which was to witness the
final struggle and the crowning National victory at
Chattanooga. It was a magnificent spectacle, and
one which it rarely falls to the lot of mortals to
witness.

Brag^g- versus Sherman.

At an early hour the preparations were complete.
The sun had arisen, however, before the bugle sounded
''Forward!" Hooker had received orders to move
on the Confederate left ; Sherman was to move
against the right; while the centre, under the Im-
mediate eye of General Grant, was to advance later
in the day and whenever the developments made on
either wing should justify the attack. Shortly after
sunrise Hooker, who has left a small force on Lookout
Mountain, Is seen with the mass of his troops moving
down the eastern slope of the mountain and sweeping
across the valley.

Sherman moved at the same time on the Con-
federate right, and it soon begins to be evident that
Bragg, believing that the main attack is to be made on
bis right. Is massing his troops on Sherman's front. A
fierce artillery duel at once commenced between Or-
chard Knob and Missionary Ridge. Hooker, pressing
on toward Rossville Gap, encountered an unexpected
obstacle at Chattanooga Creek. The bridge had been
destroyed by the Confederates as they retired from
the valley In the early morning. It was an unfortunate
circumstance, necessitating- as it did ^ delay of thr^e
hours,

340 GENERAL SHERMAN.

As soon as the bridge was completed the troops
were pushed over. Rossville Gap was quickly occu-
pied, and Hooker, moving Osterhaus along the east
side of the ridge, Geary at its base, with the batteries
on the west side, and Cruft on the ridge itself, marched
northward, driving the enemy before him. Shortly
after sunset the victory on the National right was
complete. Breckenridge had proved himself no match
for Hooker.

The Desperate Striigg-le.

Let us now see what was going on toward the
left and at the centre. On the morning of the 25th,
Sherman was in the saddle before it was light.
During the night he had strongly intrenched his
position. His order of battle was similar to that of
Hooker. General Corse, with three of his own regi-
ments and one of LIghtburn's, moved forward on the
crest of the hill ; General Morgan L. Smith, with his
command, advanced along the eastern base ; while
Colonel Loomis, supported by the two reserve brig-
ades of General John E. Smith, advanced along the
western base. The briorades of Cockerell and Alex-
ander and a portion of LIghtburn's remained behind,
holding the position first occupied. Almost from the
commencement of the forward movement the ad-
vancing columns were exposed to the guns of the
enemy.

The tide of battle ebbed and flowed, victory now
leaning to the one side and now to the other. It
was a desperate grapple and the loss of life was

VALOR AT CHATTANOOGA. 341

terrible. No decided progress was being made on
either side. Corse found it impossible to carry the
works in his front ; the Confederates were equally
unable to drive him from the position he had won.
The columns which under Loomis and Smith moved
along the sides of the ridge, encountering fewer
difficulties, were attended with better success. Smith
kept gaining ground on the left spur of Missionary
Ridge, while Loomis on his side got abreast of the
tunnel and the railroad embankment.

The fire of the one and the other, striking the Con-
federates on both flanks and slightly In rear of their
front, had the effect of withdrawing attention, and
thus to a certain extent of relieving the assaulting
party on the crest of the hill.

It was now about three o'clock. The battle was
raging with tremendous fury. Column after column
of the enemy came streaming down upon Sherman's
men, gun upon gun pouring upon them its concen-
trated shot from every hill and spur as they vainly
struggled in the valley ^nd attempted to force their
way to the farther height. Neither, however, was
gaining any advantage.

They Held their Ground.

Almost at the crisis of the fight it seemed to the
anxious watchers at Chattanooga as If Sherman was
losing ground. There was, indeed, a backward
movement. It had seemed to General J. E. Smith
that Colonel Wolcott, who now commanded on the
crest — Corse having been wounded early in the

342 GENERAL 'SHERMAN.

day — was sorely pressed and in danger of being
overpowered.

He therefore sent to his aid the two reserve
brigades of Runion and Mathias. Having crossed
the intervening fields and climbed the hillside in spite
of a most destructive fire of artillery and musketry,
they effected a junction with Wolcott. The ridge,
however, being narrow, they were forced to take
position on the western face of the hill, where, being
exposed to attack on right and rear, the enemy, rush-
ing from the tunnel gorge, fell upon them in over-
whelming numbers, drivino- them down the hill and
back to the lower end of the field. There they were
re-formed, and the Confederates who had ventured
to pursue were struck heavily on their flank, and
compelled to retire to the slielter of their works on
the wooded hills. It was this backward movement
of Smith's brigades which, being seen at Chatta-
nooga, created the impression that a repulse had
been sustained by the National left.

Impatient for the Fray.

Sherman has taken some pains to correct this false
impression, and informs us that the *' real attacking
columns of General Corse, General Loomis, and
General Morgan L. Smith were not repulsed," but,
on the contrary, held their ground and struggled "all
day persistently, stubbornly, and well."

Long and wearily had Sherman waited for the
attack in the centre. An occasional shot from Or-
chard Knob, and some artillery and musketry fire

VALOU AT CHATTAKOOaA. 343

away in the direction of Lookout, were the only signs
of activity in the National ranks on his right. It was
not until shortly after three o'clock that he saw a white
line of .^moke in front of Orchard Knob, the line ex-
tending farther and farther to the right. It was evi-
dent that something decisive was happening. He
had faith in the result, for he knew that by his repeated
and persistent attacks he had compelled Bragg to con-
centrate large masses of his troops on his own right.
He had thus weakened the Confederate centre and
created the opportunity for Grant and Thomas.

During these hours of sore trial and deep anxiety
Grant's attention was quite as much directed to the
left as was that of Sherman to the centre. Grant's
headquarters were at Orchard Knob. He had a com-
mandine view of the entire battle-eround. He knew
that Bragg was concentrating on his own right, and,
determined to penetrate the National left and force
his way to Chattanooga, was hurling against Sherman
his well-disciplined legions in overwhelming masses.
He feared lest his trusted lieutenant, sorely pressed,
should be yielding to impatience because of the con-
tinued inaction at the centre.

But it was necessary to wait for Hooker, who, as
has been stated, had been delayed three hours in re-
constructing the bridge across Chattanooga Creek.
It was desirable at least that the Confederate left
should be well engaged, as well as the Confederate
right, before the decisive blow was dealt at the centre.
With any other commander on his left Grant might

344 GENEflAL SHERMAN.

have risked too much by leaving him so long, unaided
or unrelieved, to struggle against the strong position
and the ever-increasing numbers of the enemy.

**A Wall of Adamant."

Grant, however, had not forgotten Shiloh. He
remembered how on that day, at the foot of the
bridore over Snake Creek, Sherman had stood Hke a
wall of adamant, his men massed around him, and
presenting to the almost triumphant foe what seemed
a huge and solid shield of shining steel, effectually
resisting and ultimately turning the tide of battle.
What he had done then he had on many a batde-field
since proved his ability and willingness to do again.
Grant was asking much from his lieutenant, but he
felt convinced that Sherman would not be found
wanting. Meanwhile, he had the satisfaction of per-
ceiving that his plan was worjcing admirably. Bragg,
completely out-generalled, was weaking his own centre
and preparing for him his opportunity.

It was now half-past three o'clock. Grant was
pacing to and fro on Orchard Knob. Concerned for
the welfare of Sherman, seeing his opportunity rapidly
ripening, and impatient to strike, yet unwilling by
premature action to imperil the hoped-for and what
seemed the inevitable result, he kept turning his eyes
wistfully in the direction in which Hooker should
make his appearance.

The Moment Arrives.

Still there were no signs of his coming. Hooker,
as the reader knows, was successfully moving along

VALOR AT CHATTANOOGA. 345

the ridge and driving the enemy before him. But
Grant was as yet ignorant at once of the cause of his
delay and of the progress he had made. The oppor-
tune moment, however, had come. He saw that
Bragg had greatly weakened his centre to support
his right, and, having faith that Hooker must be close
at hand, he gave Thomas the order to advance.

The thunderbolt was hurled. The signal-guns were
fired — one — two — three — four — hvG — six — and the
divisions of Wood, Baird, Sheridan, and Johnson,
long since impatient of delay, advanced with firm
and steady step. These were preceded by a double
line of skirmishers, drawn mostly from the divisions
of Wood and Sheridan. The orders were to carry
the rifle-pits at the base of the ridge, and then to re-
form and push their way to the summit.

The whole movement was conducted with the
regularity and precision of clockwork. The skir-
mishers dashed forward, the main body following
within easy supporting distance.

The Ridg-e Ablaze.

Missionary Ridge all at once seems ablaze. On all
the forts and batteries the heavy guns open fire, and
from their hollow mouths they bellow harsh thunder
and vomit forth their missiles of destruction. Full
thirty guns are pouring shot and shell into the ad-
vancing columns. Nothing, however, can cool the
ardor or restrain the impetuosity of the National
soldiers. "Rolling on the foe," on moves this "fiery
mass of living valor."

Ue OENEHAL SHERMAN.

The picture of the poet becomes here a living
reaHty. The brigades of Hazen and WilHch are
already at the base of the mountain. Like "bees
out of a hive," to use the expressive words of Gen-
eral Grant, the gray-coated Confederates are seen
swarming out of the rifle-pits and rushing up the
hillside.

Fired now with the wildest enthusiasm, the brave
Nationals, scarcely taking time to re-form, push their
way up the steep and rugged sides of the mountain.
They are fully exposed now to a terrific fire from the
enemy's guns on the heights above them. Shell,
canister, shrapnel, bullets, are falling upon them with
deadly effect.

The Old Flag" climbs Hig-lier.

Nothing daunted, however, on they pressed, and
from Orchard Knob the National colors are seen
fluttering higher and still higher and gradually nearing
the summit. Order now begins to disappear. The
brigades, partly because of the nature of the ground
and partly because of the severity of the fire, break
up into groups. There is, however, neither lack of
purpose nor lack of enthusiasm. Every group has its
flag, and In wedge-like form, each eager to be first and
emulous of the other, is seen pressing onward and
upward. It seems as if the color-bearers are running
a race. To plant the first color on the summit appears
to be the ambition of every brigade, of every group,
of every soldier. Now they are clambering over the
rugged ledges, now they are seeking momentary

VALOK AT CHATTANOOGA. S47

shelter In the ravines or behind the overhanging
rocks ; but they are ever, in spite of the heavy guns
and the murderous volleys of musketry from the rifle-
pits, nearing the summit.

Down go the Standard-bearers.

Meanwhile, the work of destruction had been terri-
ble. The color-bearers had suffered fearfully. The
first to reach the summit was a group of men from
the First Ohio and a few others from other regiments
under the lead of Lieutenant-Colonel Langdon. Six
color-bearers of this party had fallen, when Langdon,
waving forward his men and leaping over the crest,
was instantly shot down. The breach, however, had
been made, and the brigades of Hazen and Willich
were soon on the summit. These were quickly fol-
lowed by the brigades of Sheridan's division, Sheridan
himself taking an active part and specially command-
ing the attention of General Grant, by his wonderful
command of his men and his intrepid bearing.

The National advance was within a few hundred
yards of Bragg's headquarters. There were still des-
perate hand-to-hand struggles after the Nationals
had reached the summit. But as the shouting victors
came pouring into the works, bayonetting the cannon-
eers at their guns, the bold and resolute front gave
way. It was now sunset. The Confederates were in
full retreat, their own guns turned upon them by the
triumphant Nationals. It was only with difficulty that
Bragg was able to make good his escape, along with
Breckenridge, who by this time had joined him. Mis-

348 GENERAL SHERMAN.

sionary Ridge was now occupied and held by the
National troops.

Sherman Drives the Enemy.

Hooker, as we have seen, had been victorious on
the right; Sherman had held his ground, and, after
a gallant and protracted struggle against superior
numbers, had driven the enemy from his front; and
now the brave and well-trusted soldiers of the Armyi,
of the Cumberland had pierced and routed the Con-j
federate centre. The battle of Chattanooga had.
been fought and won.

The modesty of Grant, the utter absence of vain-i^
glory, is strikingly revealed in the despatch which hei
sent to General Halleck immediately after the batde.
"Although the- battle lasted," he says, "from early
dawn till dark this evening, I believe I am not prema-
ture in announcing a complete victory over Bragg.
Lookout Mountain top, all the rifle-pits in Chattanooga
Valley, and Missionary Ridge entire have been carried
and are now held by us."

The Last Strug-gle.

The final struggle of the day was in the neighbor-
hood of the tunnel on Thomas's left and in Sherman's
front. At that point the Confederates made a most
obstinate resistance. This resistance and the dark-
ness which intervened prevented an immediate pur-
suit. During the night Missionary Ridge blazed with
Union camp-fires, the Confederates having fallen back
in the direction of Ringgold by the way of Chicka-
mauga Station. Bragg left behind him some six hun-

VALOR AT CHATTANOOGA. 349

dred prisoners, besides a large number of stragglers,
forty guns, upward of seven thousand small-arms, and
a large quantity of ammunition.

Next morning Sherman, Palmer, and Hooker were
in eager pursuit. Sherman pushed on toward Grays-
ville, passing Chlckamauga Station, where he found
everything In flames. The Immediate result of the
victory at Chattanooga was the relief of Knoxville.
Burnslde, It will be remembered, after having been
relieved of the command of the Army of the Potomac,
was assigned on the 26th of March to the command
of the Department of the Ohio. His headquarters
were at Cincinnati, and his army, about twenty thou-
sand strong, was at Camp Nelson, near Richmond,
Kentucky. When Rosecrans commenced his onward
movement toward Chattanooga, Burnslde, who had
been ordered to co-operate with him and to effect a
junction between his own right and the left of Rose-
crans, commenced on the i6th of August his march
for East Tennessee. That district of country was
then held by the Confederate general Buckner, whose
headquarters were at Knoxville.

The Situation at Knoxville.

Burnslde, more intent on restoring the authority of
the National Government In East Tennessee, moved
in the direction of Knoxville, although repeatedly
ordered to reinforce Rosecrans, believing It to be all-
Important that the place should be permanently occu-
pied by National troops.

If Kno?cville was to be taken, It must be taken by

350 GENERAL SHERMAN. '^

Storm. Preparations for a final effort were accord
ingly hurried forward. The point chosen for attack
was Fort Sanders, on the north-west angle of the
fortifications and commanding an approach by the
river. It was a work of great strength, the ditch
being ten feet deep and the parapet of more than
ordinary height. Around and in front of it several
acres of thick pine timber had been slashed, and a
perfect entanglement of wirework had been formed
by connecting stump with stump. There were besides
numerous rifle-pits and abattis.

The fort was occupied by the Seventy-ninth New
York, the Twenty-ninth Massachusetts, two companies
of the Second and one of the Twentieth Michigan.
The armament consisted of four twenty-pounder
Parrott guns, Lieutenant Benjamin, Burnside's chief
of artillery ; four light twelve-pounders, commanded
by Buckley ; and two three-inch guns. The assault-
ing party was composed of three brigades of McLaws'
division, with those of Wolford, Humphreys, Ander-
son, and Bogart. They were picked men, the fiower
of Longstreet's army.

The Confederate Yell.

In the gray of the morning of the 29th the assault
•was made, with a vigor and determination not sur-
passed in the previous history of the war. What with
the fierce yells of the Confederates, the ratde of mus-
ketry, the screaming of shells, the thunder of artillery,
the tumult for a time was awful. The Confederates,
as they approached, were received with a deadly fire

\jr AVt rv-o

352 GENERAL ^ERMAN.

from the batteries of the fort. Nothing daunted, how-
ever, by the destructive missiles which flew thick and
fast around them or by the sight of their fallen com-
rades, on they pressed, through the abattis, across the
ditch and up the parapet, some of them forcing their
way through the embrasures. The obstacles encoun-
tered, the wire network particularly, made their prog-
ress slow, and consequently kept them long exposed
to the double-shotted guns which Ferrero, the com-
mander of the fort, kept in active play.

The Assault Fails.

When the assailants reached the parapet their
ranks were greatly thinned, but their spirits were not
subdued. One officer actually reached the summit,
and, planting upon it the flag of the Thirteenth Mis-
sissippi, called for surrender. It was a vain call, for
the next moment his body, pierced by a dozen bullets,
the flag still in his hand, was rolling into the ditch.
Hand-grenades were freely used by the defenders,
and they had terrible effect.

The assault, gallant as it was, proved a complete
failure. It was tried a second time by another
column, but the result was the same. The fighting
was discontinued. A truce was granted to the Con-
federates to carry away their wounded and to bury
their dead. Longstreet, still hoping against hope
and unwilling to retire, maintained the siege.

The ground in front of the fort was strewn with
the dead and wounded. In the ditch alone were over
two hundred dead and wounded, "In this terrible

VALOR AT CHATTANOOGA. IV^^

ditch," says Pollard, "the dead were piled eic^ht or
ten feet deep. In a comparatively short time we lost
seven hundred men in killed and wounded and dhr-
oners. Never, excepting at Gettysburg, was there m
the history of the war a disaster adorned with the
glory of such devout courage as Longstreet's repulse
at Knoxville."

Meanwhile, relief was coming from Grant to Burn-
side. Why was this relief so long delayed ? On the
evening of the 25th, as soon as success at Chatta-
nooga had been assured, Grant had ordered General
Gordon Granger to start for the relief of Knoxville
with his own Fourth corps and detachments fromi
others — twenty thousand in all. Granger was to
move with four days' rations, arrangements having
been made to send after him a steamer with supplies.
<*You will Assume Conimaiid."

When Grant returned from the front on the 28th
he found, much to his astonishment, that Granger
had not yet got off, and that he was preparing to
move "with reluctance and complaints." Grant fell
back upon Sherman, who was ever willino- and ever
ready. "I am inclined to think," said Grant, in a
letter to Sherman, "I shall have to send you. In
plain words, you will assume command of all the
forces now moving up the Tennessee."

Wlien he received the letter from Grant, Sherman
was at Calhoun, at the railroad crossing of the Hia-
wassee. If he had been less of a soldier he mieht
easily nave found cause of complaint. It was only

354 GENERAL SHERMAN.

seven days since he had marched his troops from
the west side of the Tennessee, with only two days'
rations, without change of clothing, with but a single
blanket or coat to a man from himself to the private
soldier. What provisions they had were picked up
by the way.

Slierman Hastening to the Rescue.

Murmur or complaint, however, with Sherman,
there was none. To hear was to obey. It was
enough for him that twelve thousand of his fellow-
soldiers were beleaguered at Knoxville, eighty-four
miles away, and that if not relieved within three days
they might be at the mercy of the enemy.

With his hardy and untiring veterans Sherman i
was quickly on his way. The roads were bad, and,
as the pontoon-bridge at Loudon had been destroyed, |
there was unexpected difficulty and consequent delay.
After considerable progress had been made the troops
were compelled to turn to the east and to trust to
General Burnside's bridge at Knoxville. A bridge
was flung across the Little Tennessee at Morgan-
town, and by daybreak on the 5th of December the
entire Fifteenth corps was over. Meanwhile, the
cavalry command, which had moved forward in ad^
vance, had reached Knoxville on the 3d of December,
the very day on which Burnside expected his supplies
would give out.

The Siege Ended.

On the night of the 5th a messenger from Burnside
arrived at Sherman's headquarters, announcing tl.ai

VALOR AT CHATTANOOGA. 355

Longstreet was in full retreat toward Virginia and
that the National cavalry were in pursuit. As soon
as Sherman's cavalry appeared, Longstreet, discover-
ing that his flank was turned, raised the siege and
retreated toward Russellville in the direction of Vir
ginia. The National cavalry followed for some dis-
tance in close pursuit. This ended the siege of
Knoxville.

Burnside had offered a noble resistance and had
retrieved some of the laurels lost at Fredericksburg.
He was not without oblioations to Sherman, nor was
he ungrateful. In a letter to that general he fully
acknowledged those obligations, and thanked both
him and his command for so promptly coming to his
relief. " I am satisfied," he said, " that your approacJ/
served to raise the siege."

Sherman, too, had great reason to be proud of
himself and his command. They had been constantly
in motion since they left the Big Black in Missisippi.
For long periods they had been without regular
rations, and the men had marched through mud and
over rocks, sometimes barefooted, without a murmur
and without a moment's delay.

Marvels of Acliieveiiient.

After a march of over four hundred miles, without
sleep for three successive nights, they crossed the
Tennessee, fought their part in the battle of Chatta-
nooga, pursued the enemy out of Tennessee, and
then turned more than one hundred and twenty
miles north and compelled Longstreet to raise the

356 GENERAL SHERMAN.

siege of Knoxville. After the siege was raised,
Sherman, with the consent of Burnside, leaving only
Granger's command, fell back to the line of the
Hiawassee.

CHAPTER XVIII.

General Sherman's Fascinating Story of the
Battle of Chattanooga.

Having in the preceding chapter described the
great general features of the battle of Chattanooga,
havincr followed the combined Union armies or to
their magnificent victory, we now take pleasure in
presenting the reader with an intensely interesting
account of the sanguinary conflict from General Sher-
man's own pen. This clear and graphic report re^
lates especially his own part in the terrible yet
glorious deeds on that world-renowned battle-field.
The report is as follows :

Headquarters Department and Army of the Tennessee.
Bridgeport, Alabama, December 19, 1863.

Brigadier- General ]oYi^ A. Rawlins, Chief of Staff to
General Grant, Chattanooga :

General: For the first time I am now at leisure
to make an official record of events with which the
troops under my command have been connected
during the eventful campaign which has just closed.

During the month of September last the Fifteenth
army corps, which I had the honor to command, lay in
camps along the Big Black, about twenty miles east
of Vicksburg, Mississippi. It consisted of four divis-
ions. The First, commanded by Brigadier-General

367

^58 GENEKAL SHERMAN.

P. J. Osterhaus, was composed of two brigades, led
by Brigadier-General C. R. Woods and Colonel J. A.
Williamson (of the Fourth Iowa).

The Second, commanded by Brigadier-General
Morgan L. Smith, was composed of two brigades, led
by Brigadier-Generals Giles A. Smith and J. A. J.
Lightburn.

The Third, commanded by Brigadier-General J,
M. Tuttle, was composed of three brigades, led by
Brigadier-Generals J. A. Mower and R. P. Buckland
and Colonel J. J. Wood (of the Twelfth Iowa).

The Fourth, commanded by Brigadier-General
Hugh Ewing, was composed of three brigades, led by
Brigadier-General J. M. Corse, Colonel Loomis
(Twenty-sixth Illinois), and Colonel J. R. Cockerell
\of the Seventieth Ohio).

Off for Chattanooga.

On the 2 2d day of September, I received a tele-
graphic despatch from General Grant, then at Vicks-
burg, commanding the Department of the Tennessee,
requiring me to detach one of my divisions to march
to Vicksburg, there to embark for Memphis, where it
vva-- to form a part of an army to be sent to Chatta-
nooga to reinforce General Rosecrans. I designated
the First division, and at 4 p. M. the same day it
marched for Vicksburg, and embarked the next
day.

On the 23d of September, I was summoned to Vicks-
burg by the general comirianding, who showed me
several despatches from th" i;e'neral-in-chief, which

STORY OF CHATTANOOGA. 359

leii him to suppose he would have to send me and my
whole corps to Memphis and eastward, and I was in-
structed to prepare for such orders. It was explained
to me that in consequence of the low stage of water in
the Mississippi boats had arrived irregularly, and had
brought despatches that seemed to conflict in their
meaning, and that General John E. Smith's division
(of General McPherson's corps) had been ordered
up to Memphis, and that I should take that divis-
ion, and leave one of my own in its stead to hold
the line of the Big Black. I detailed my Third division
(General Tuttle) to remain and report to Major-Gen-
eral McPherson, commanding the Seventeenth corps,
at Vicksburg ; and that of General John E. Smith,
already started for Memphis, was styled the Third
division, Fifteenth corps, though it still belongs to the
Seventeenth army corps. This division is also com-
posed of three brigades, commanded by General
Mathias, Colonel J. B. Raum (of the Fifty-sixth
Illinois), and Colonel J. I. Alexander (of the Fifty-
ninth Indiana).

A River Fleet.

The Second and Fourth divisions were started for
Vicksburg the moment I was notified that boats were
in readiness, and on the 27th of September I embarked
in person in the steamer Atlantic for Memphis, fol-
lowed by a fleet of boats conveying these two divisions.
Our progress was slow, on account of the unprece-
dentedly low water in the Mississippi and the scarcity
of coal and wood. We were compelled at places to

fl

860 GENERAL SHERMAK. !

gather fence-rails and to land wagons and haul wood :
from the interior to the boats ; but I reached Memphis
during the night of the 2d of October, and the other
boats came in on the 3d and 4th.

On arrival at Memphis, I saw General Hurlbut, and
read all the despatches and letters of instruction of
General Halleck, and therein derived my instructions,
which I construed to be as follows:

To conduct the Fifteenth army corps, and all other
troops which could be spared from the line of the
Memphis and Charleston railroad, to Athens, Ala-
bama, and thence report by letter for orders to
General Rosecrans, commanding the Army of the
Cumberland at Chattanooga ; to follow substantially
the railroad eastward, repairing it as I moved ; to look
to my own line for supplies ; and in no event to de-
pend on General Rosecrans for supplies, as the roads
to his rear were already overtaxed to supply his
•^resent army.

] learned from General Hurlbut that General Oster-

•mus's division was already out in front of Corinth.

md that General John E. Smith was still at Memphis,

noving his troops and material by railroad as fast as

ts limited stock would carry them. General J. D.

Webster was superintendent of the railroad, and was

enjoined to work night and day and to expedite the

movement as rapidly as possible ; but the capacity of

the road was so small that I soon saw that I could

move horses, mules, and wagons faster by land, and

therefore I despatched the artillery and wagons by the.

STORY OF CHATTANOOGA. 361

road under escort, and finally moved the entire Fourth
division by land.

Harassed by the Enemy.

The enemy seems to have had early notice of this
movement, and he endeavored to thwart us from the
start. A considerable force assembled in a threaten-
ing attitude at Salem, south of Salisbury Station, and
General Carr, who commanded at Corinth, felt com-
pelled to turn back and use a part of my troops, that
had already reached Corinth, to resist the threatened
attack.

On Sunday, October nth, having put in motion my
whole force, I started myself for Corinth, in a special
train, with the battalion of the Thirteenth United
States regulars as escort. We reached Collierville
Station about noon, just in time to take part in the
defence made of that station by Colonel D. C. An-
thony of the Sixty-sixth Indiana against an attack
made by General Chalmers with a force of about three
thousand cavalry, with eight pieces of artillery. He
was beaten off, the damage to the road repaired, and
we resumed our journey the next day, reaching Corinth
at night.

I immediately ordered General Blair forward to
luka with the First division, and as fast as I eot
troops up pushed them forward of Bear Creek, the
bridge of which was completely destroyed, and an
engineer regiment, under command of Colonel Flad,
was engaged in its repairs.

Quite a considerable force of the enemy was assem-

5tt'2 GENERAL ^EEMAN.

bled in our front, near Tuscumbia, to resist oui ad-
vance. It was commanded by General Stephen D.
Lee, and composed of Roddy's and Ferguson's
brigades, with irregular cavalry, amounting in the
aggregate to about five thousand.

In person I moved from Corinth to Burnsville on
the 1 8th, and to luka on the 19th of October.

Admiral Porter.

Osterhaus's division was in the advance, constantly
skirmishing with the enemy; he was supported by
General Morgan L. Smith's, both divisions under the
general command of Major-General Blair. General
John E. Smith's division covered the working-party
engaged in rebuilding the railroad.

Foreseeing difficulty in crossing the Tennessee
River, I had written to Admiral Porter at Cairo,
asking him to watch the Tennessee and send up
some eunboats the moment the staore of water ad-
mitted ; and had also requested General Allen, quar-
termaster at St. Louis, to despatch to Eastport a
steam ferry-boat.

The admiral, ever prompt and ready to assist us,
had two fine gunboats at Eastport, under Captain
Phelps, the very day after my arrival at luka ; and
Captain Phelps had a coal-barge decked over with
which to cross our horses and wagons before the
arrival of the ferry-boat.

Still following literally the instructions of General
Halleck, I pushed forward the repairs of the railroad,
and ordered General Blair, with the two leading divis-

STORY OF CHATTANOOGA. 363

tons, to drive the enemy beyond Tuscumbla. This
he did successfully, after a pretty severe fight at Cane
Creek, occupying Tuscumbia on the 27th of October.
In the mean time many important changes in com-
mand had occurred, which I must note here to a
proper understanding of the case.

The Coniniands Assig-iiecl.

General Grant had been called from Vicksburg and
sent to Chattanooga to command the military Division
of the Mississippi, composed of the three Depart-
ments of the Ohio, Cumberland, and Tennessee, and
the Department of the Tennessee had been devolved
on me, with instructions, however, to retain command
of the army in the field. At luka I made what
appeared to me the best disposition of matters relat-
ing to the department, giving General McPherson full
powers in Mississippi and General Hurlbut in West
Tennessee, and assigned General Blair to the com-
mand of the Fifteenth army corps, and summoned
General Hurlbut from Memphis and General Dodge
from Corinth, and selected out of the Sixteenth corps
a force of about eight thousand men, which I directed
General Dodge to organize with all expedition, and
with it to follow me eastward.

On the 27th of October, when General Blair, with
two divisions, was at Tuscumbia, I ordered General
Ewing, with the Fourth division, to cross the Ten-
nessee (by means of the gunboats and scow) as
rapidly as possible at Eastport, and push forward to
Florence, which he did : and the same day a messen-

364 GENERAL SHERMAN.

ger from General Grant floated down the Tennessee
over Muscle Shoals, landed at Tuscumbia, and was
sent to me at luka. He bore a short message from
the general to this effect: "Drop all work on the rail-
road east of Bear Creek ; push your command toward
Bridgeport till you meet orders," etc.

Crossing" the Tennessee.

Instantly the order was executed ; the order of
march was reversed, and all the columns were directed
to Eastport, the only place where we could cross the
Tennessee. At first we only had the gunboats and
coal-barge ; but the ferry-boat and two trai\ 'sports
arrived on the 31st of October, and the work of
crossing was pushed with all the vigor possible. In
person I crossed, and passed to the head of the column
at Florence on the ist of November, leaving the rear
divisions to be conducted by General Blair, and
marched to Roo^ersville and Elk River. This was
found impassable. To ferry would have consumed
too much time, and to build a bridge still more ; so
there was no alternative but to turn up Elk River by
way of Gilbertsboro, Elkton, etc., to the stone bridge
at Fayetteville, where we crossed the Elk and pro-
ceeded to Winchester and Deckerd.

At Fayetteville, I received orders from General
Grant to come to Bridgeport with the Fifteenth army
corps, and to leave General Dodge's command at
Pulaski and aloncr the railroad from Columbia to
Decatur. I instructed General Blair to follow with
the Second and First divisions by way of New Mar-

STOEY OF CHATTANOOGA. 865

ket, Larkinsville, and Bellefonte, while I conducted the
' other two divisions by way of Deckerd ; the Fourth
division crossing the mountain to Stevenson, and the
Third by University Place and Swedon's Cove.
' In person I proceeded by Swedon's Cove and
Battle Creek, reaching Bridgeport on the night of
November 13th. I immediately telegraphed to the
^ commanding general my arrival and the positions of
j my several divisions, and was summoned to Chatta-
nooga. I took the first steamboat during the night
of the 14th for Kelly's Ferry, and rode into Chatta-
nooga on the 15th.

I The Arena of Conflict.

^hen learned the part assigned me in the coming
drama, was supplied with the necessary maps and in-
formation, and rode during the i6th, in company with
Generals Grant, Thomas, W. F. Smith, Brannan, and

■ others, to the positions occupied on the west bank of
the Tennessee, from which could be seen the camps
of the enemy compassing Chattanooga and the line
of Missionary Hills, with its terminus on Chickamauga

; Creek, the point that I was expected to take, hold, and
fortify. Pontoons, with a full supply of balks and
chesses, had been prepared for the bridge over the
Tennessee, and all things had been prearranged with
a foresight that elicited my admiration. From the
hills we looked down on the amphitheatre of Chatta-
nooga as on a map, and nothing remained but for me
to put my troops in the desired position. The plan
contemplated that. In addition to crossing the Ten-

366 GENERAL SHERMAN.

nessee River and making a lodgment on the terminus
of Missionary Ridge, I should demonstrate against
Lookout Mountain near Trenton with a part of my
command.

All in Chattanooga were impatient for action, ren-
dered almost acute by the natural apprehensions felt
for the safety of General Burnside in East Tennessee.

My command had marched from Memphis, three
hundred and thirty miles, and I had pushed them as
fast as the roads and distance would admit, but I saw
enough of the condition of men and animals in Chat-
tanooga to inspire me with renewed energy. I
immediately ordered my leading division (General
Er/ing's) to march via Shellmound to Trenton, dem-
onstrating against Lookout Ridge, but to be prepared
to turn quickly and follow me to Chattanooga;
and in person I returned to Bridgeport, rowing a
boat down the Tennessee from Kelly's Ferry, and
immediately on arrival put in motion my divisions in
the order in which they had arrived.

Preparing- for the Attack.

The bridge of boats at Bridgeport was frail, and,
though used day and night, our passage was slow,
and the road thence to Chattanooga was dreadfully
:ut up and encumbered with the wagons of the other
troops stationed along the road. I reached General
Hooker's headquarters during a rain in the after-
noon of the 20th, and met General Grant's orders for
the general attack on the next day. It was simply
impossible for me to fulfil my part in time ; only one

STORY OF CHATTANOOGA. 367

division (General John E. Smith's) was in position.
General Ewing was still at Trenton, and the other
two were toiling along; the terrible road from Shell-
mound to Chattanooga. No troops ever were or
could be in better condition than mine, or who la-
bored harder to fulfil their part. On a proper rep
resentation General Grant postponed the attack
On the 2 1 St I got the Second division over Brown's
Ferry bridge, and General Ewing got up ; but the
bridge broke repeatedly, and delays occurred which
no human sagacity could prevent.

All labored night and day, and General Ewing got
over on the 23d, but my rear division was cut off by
the broken bridge at Brown's Ferry and could not join
me. I offered to go into action with my three divis-
ions, supported by General Jeff C. Davis, leaving
one of my best divisions (Osterhaus's) to act with
General Hooker against Lookout Mountain. That
division has not joined me yet, but I know and feel that
it has served the country well, and that it has reflected
honor on the Fifteenth army corps and the Army of
the Tennessee. I leave the record of its history to
General Hooker or whomsoever has had its services
during the late memorable events, confident that all
will do it merited honor.

Silent Movements.

At last, on the 23d of November, my three divis
ions lay behind the hills opposite the mouth of the
Chickamauga. I despatched the brigade of the
Second division commanded by General Giles A

368 (4ENERAL SHERMAN.

Smith, under cover of the hills, to North Chicka
mauga Creek, to man the boats designed for the
pontoon-bridge, with orders (at midnight) to drop
down silently to a point above the mouth of the
South Chickamauga, there land two regiments, who
were to move along the river-bank quietly and cap-
ture the enemy's river-pickets.

General Giles A. Smith then was to drop rapidly
below the mouth of the Chickamauga, disembark the
rest of his brigade, and despatch the boats across for
fresh loads. These orders were skilfully executed, and
every rebel picket but one was captured. The bal-
ance of General Morgan L. Smith's division was tlien
rapidly ferried across ; that of General John E. Smith
followed, and by daylight of November 24th two
divisions of about eight thousand men were on the
east bank of the Tennessee, and had thrown up a
very respectable rifle-trench as a tete-du-pont.

As soon as the day dawned some of the boats
were taken from the use of ferrying, and a pontoon-
bridge was begun under the immediate direction of
Captain Dresser, the whole planned and supervised
by General William F. Smith in person. A pontoon=
bridge was also built at the same time over Chick
amauga Creek near its mouth, giving communication
with the two regiments which had been left on the
north side, and fulfilling a most important purpose at
a later stage of the drama. I will here bear my will-
ing testimony to the completeness of this whole
business.

^rORY OF CHATTANOOGA. 369

AH the officers charged with the work were pres-
ent, and manifested a skill which I cannot praise too
highly. I have never beheld any work done so
quietly, so well ; and I doubt if the history of war
can show a bridge of that extent (viz. thirteen hun-
dred and fifty feet) laid so noiselessly and well in so
short a time. I attribute it to the genius and intelli
gence of General William F. Smith. The steamer
Dunbar arrived up in the course of the morning, and
relieved Ewing's division of the labor of rowing
across ; but by noon the pontoon-bridge was done,
and my three divisions were across, with men, horses,
artillery, and everything.

The Columns Formed.

General Jeff. C. Davis's division was ready to take
die bridge, and I ordered the columns to form in
order to carry the Missionary Hills. The movement
had been carefully explained to all division command-
ers, and at one p. m. we marched from the river in
three columns in echelon — the left, General Morgan
L. Smith, the column of direction, following substan-
tially Chickamauga Creek ; the centre. General John
E. Smith, in columns doubled on the centre, at one
brigade interval, to the right and rear ; the righi
General Ewing, in column at the same distance to
the right rear, prepared to deploy to the right, on the
supposition that we would meet an enemy in that
direction. Each head of column was covered by a
good line of skirmishers, with supports. A light,
drizzling rain prevailed and the clouds hung low,

24

370 GENERAL SHERMAN.

cloaking our movement from the enemy's tower of
observation on Lookout Mountain.

Pushing to the Top of the Hill.

We soon gained the foot-hills ; our skirmishers
crept up the face of the hills, followed by their sup-
ports, and at 3.30 p. m. we had gained, with no loss»
the desired point. A brigade of each division was
pushed rapidly to the top of the hill, and the enemy
for the first time seemed to realize the movement, but
too late, for we were in possession. He opened with
artillery, but General Ewing soon got some of Captain
Richardson's guns up that steep hill, and gave back
artillery, and the enemy's skirmishers made one or
two ineffectual dashes at General Lightburn, who had
swept round and got a farther hill, which was the real
continuation of the ridge.

From studying all the maps I had inferred that
Missionary Ridge was a continuous hill, but we found
ourselves on two high points, with a deep depression
between us and the one immediately over the tunnel,
which was my chief objective point. The ground we
had gained, however, was so important that I could
leave nothing to chance, and ordered it to be fortified
during the night. One brigade of each division was
left on the hill, one of General Morgan L. Smith's
closed the gap to Chickamauga Creek, two of Genera!
John E. Smith's were drawn back to the base in
reserve, and General Ewing's right was extended
down into the plain, thus crossing the ridge in a
general line, facing south-east.

STORY OF CHATTANOOGA. 371

Th<^ enemy felt our left flank about 4 p. m.» and a
pretty smart engagement with artillery and muskets
ensued, when he drew off; but it cost us dear, for
General Giles A. Smith was severely wounded, and
had to go to the rear ; and the command of the
brigade devolved on Colonel Tupper (One-hundred-
and-Sixteenth Illinois), who managed it with skill dur-
ing the rest of the operations. At the moment of my
crossing the bridge General Howard appeared, having
come with three regiments from Chattanooga along
the east bank of the Tennessee, connecting my new
position with that of the main army in Chattanooga.
He left the three regiments attached temporarily to
General Ewing's right, and returned to his own corps
?^ Chattanooga.

Orders fo/ **DawD of Day."

As night closed in I ordered General Jeff. C.
l>avis to keep one c/ hb brigades at the bridge, one
close up to my position, and one intermediate. Thus
we passed the night, heavy details being kept busy
at work on the increnchments on the hill. During
the night the sky cleared away bright, a cold frost
filled the air and our camp-fires revealed to the
enemy and to our friends in Chattanooga our position
on Missionary Ridge. About midnight I received, at
the hands of Major Rowley (of General Grant's
staff), orderhr to attack the enemy at ''dawn of day,"
with notice that General Thomas would attack ii;
force early in the day. Accordingly, before day I was
in the saddle, attended by all my staff; rode to the

372 GENERAL SHERMAN,

extreme left of our position near Chickamauga Creek,
thence up the hill held by General Lightburn, and
round to the extreme right of General Ewing. Catch-
ing as accurate an idea of the ground as possible by
the dim light of morning, I saw that our line of
attack was in the direction of Missionary Ridge, with
wings supporting on either flank. Quite a valley lay
between us and the next hill of the series, and this hill
presented steep sides, the one to the west partially
cleared, but the other covered with the native forest.

The crest of the ridee was narrow and wooded The
<_>

farther point of this hill was held by the enemy with a
breastwork of logs and fresh earth, filled with men
and two guns.

The Bugle Sounds ** Forward ! "

The enemy was also seen in great force on a still
higher hill beyond the tunnel, from which he had a
fine plunging fire on the hill in dispute. The gorge
between, through which several roads and the rail-
road tunnel pass, could not be seen from our position,
but formed the Vi^iXwr^X place d' amies, where the ene-
my covered his masses to resist our contemplated
movement of turning his right flank and endangerino;
his communications with his depot at Chickamauga
Station.

As soon as 'possible the following dispositions were
made : The brigrades of Colonels Cockerell and Alex-
ander and General Lio^htburn were to hold our hill as
the key-point. General Corse, with as much of his
brigade as could operate along the narrow ridge, was

STOKY OF CHATTANOOGA. 373

to attack from our right centre. General Lightburn
was to despatch a good regiment from his position to
co-operate with General Corse ; and General Morgan
L. Smith was to move along the east base of Mis-
sionary Ridge, connecting with General Corse ; and
Colonel Loomis in like manner to move along the
'\ est base, supported by the two reserve brigades of
general John E. Smith.

Furious Fighting.

The sun had hardly risen before General Corse
had completed his preparations and his bugle sounded
the " Forward ! " The Fortieth Illinois, supported by
the Forty-sixth Ohio, on our right centre, with the
Thirtieth Ohio (Colonel Jones), moved down the face
of our hill and up that held by the enemy. The line
advanced to within about eighty yards of the in-
trenched position, where General Corse found a
secondary crest, which he gained and held. To this
point he called his reserves, and asked for reinforce-
ments, which were sent; but the space was narrow,
and it was not well to crowd the men, as the enemy's
artillery and musketry fire swept the approach to his
position, giving him great advantage.

As soon as General Corse had made his prepara-
tions he assaulted, and a close, severe contest ensued
which lasted more than an hour, gaining and losing
ground, but never the position first obtained, from
which the enemy in vain attempted to drive him.
General Morgan L. Smith kept gaining ground on
the left spurs of Missionary Ridge, and Colonel

374 GENERAL SHEEMAN.

Loomis got abreast of the tunnel and railroad em-
bankment on his side, drawing the enemy's fire, and
to that extent relieving the assaulting-party on the
hill-crest. Captain Callender had four of his guns
on General Ewing's hill, and Captain Woods his
Napoleon battery on General Lightburn's ; also, two
guns of Dillon's battery were with Colonel Alexan-
der's brigade. All directed their fire as carefully as
possible to clear the hill to our front without endan-
gering our own men. The fight raged furiously about
lo A. M., when General Corse received a severe
wound, was brought ofT the field, and the command
of the brigade and of the assault at that key-point
devolved on that fine young, gallant officer. Colonel
Walcutt, of the Forty-sixth Ohio, who fulfilled his part
manfully. He continued the contest, pressing for-
ward at all points. Colonel Loomis had made good
progress to the right, and about 2 p. m. General John
E. Smith, judging the battle to be most severe on the
hill, and being required to support General Ewing,
ordered up Colonel Raum's and General Mathias's
brigades across the field to the summit that was
being fought for. They movea p under a heavy fire
of cannon and musketry, and joined Colonel Walcutt ;
but the crest was so narrow that they necessarily
occupied the west face of the hill.
"It was Not So."
The enemy, at the time being massed in great
strength in the tunnel gorge, moved a large force
under cover of the oround and the thick bushes, and

STORY OF CHATTANOOGA. 375

suddenly appeared on the right rear of this command.
The suddenness of the attack disconcerted the men,
exposed as they were in the open field ; they fell back
in some disorder to the lower edge of the field and
re-formed. These two brigades were in the nature
of supports, and did not constitute a part of the real
attack. The movement, seen from Chattanooga (five
miles off) with spy-glasses, gave rise to the report,
which even General Meigs has repeated, that we were
repulsed on the left. It was 7iot so. The real attacking
columns of General Corse, Colonel Loomis, and Gen-
eral Smith were not repulsed. They engaged in a
close struggle all day persistently, stubbornly, and
well. When the two reserve brigades of General
John E. Smith fell back as described, the enemy made
a show of pursuit, but were in their turn caught in
flank by the well-directed fire of our brigade on the
wooded crest, and hastily sought cover behind the
hill.

Thus matters stood about 3 p. m. The day was
bright and clear, and the amphitheatre of Chattanooga
lay in beauty at our feet. I had watched for the attack
of General Thomas '' early in the day

Column after column of the enemy was streaming
toward me ; gun after gun poured its concentric shot
on us from every hill and spur that gave a view of
any part of the ground held by us. An occasional
shot from Fort Wood and Orchard Knob, and some
musketry-fire and artillery over about Lookout Moun-
tain, was all that I could detect on our side; but about

376 GENERAL SHERMAN.

3 P. M. I noticed the white Hne of musketry-fire in
front of Orchard Knoll, extending farther and farther
right and left and on. We could only hear a faint
echo of sound, but enough was seen to satisfy me that
General Thomas was at last moving on the centre. I
knew that our attack had drawn vast masses of the
enemy to our flank, and felt sure of the result. Some
guns which had been firing on us all day were ^lent
or were turned in a different direction.

The Victory Won.

The advancing line of musketry-fire from Orchard
Knoll disappeared to us behind a spur of the hill, and
could no longer be seen ; and it was not until night
closed in that I knew that the troops in Chattanooga
had swept across Missionary Ridge and broken the
enemy's centre. Of course the victory was won, and
pursuit was the next step.

I ordered General Morcran L. Smith to feel to the

«!!>

tunnel, and it was found vacant, save by the dead and
wounded of our own and the enemy commingled.
The reserve of General Jeff C. Davis was ordered to
march at once by the pontoon-bridge across Chicka-
mauga Creek at its mouth and push forward for the
depot.

General Howard had reported to me in the early
part of the day with the remainder of his army corps
(the Eleventh), and had been posted to connect my
left with Chickamauo^a Creek. He was ordered to
repair an old broken bridge about two miles up the
Chickamauga, and to follow General Davis at 4 a. m.,

STORY OF CHATTANOOGA. 377

and the Fifteenth army corps was ordered to follow
at daylight. But General Howard found that to repair
the bridge was more of a task than was at first sup-
posed, and we were all compelled to cross the Chicka-
mauga on the new pontoon-bridge at its mouth.

By about 1 1 a. m. General Jeff. C. Davis's division
reached the depot just in time to see it in flames. He
found the enemy occupying two hills, partially in-
trenched, just beyond the depot. These he soon
drove away. The depot presented a scene of deso-
lation that war alone exhibits — corn-meal and corn in
huge burning piles, broken wagons, abandoned cais-
sons, two thirty-pounder rifled guns with carriages
burned, pieces of pontoons, balks and chesses, etc.,
destined doubtless for the famous invasion of Ken-
tucky, and all manner of things burning and broken.
Still, the enemy kindly left us a good supply of forage
for our horses, and meal, beans, etc. for our men.

Hot Pursuit.

Pausing but a short while, we passed on, the road
filled with broken wagons and abandoned caissons,
till night. Just as the head of the column emerged
from a dark, miry swamp we encountered the rear-
guard of the retreating enemy. The fight was sharp,
but the night closed in so dark that we could not
move. General Grant came up to us there- At day-
light we resumed the march, and at GraysviUe, where
a good bridge spanned the Chickamauga, we found
the corps of General Palmer on the south bank, who
informed us that General Hooker was on a road still

378 GENERAL SHERMAN.

farther south, and we could hear his guns near Ring-
gold.

As the roads were iVlled with all the troops they
could possibly accommodate, 1 turned to the east, to
fulfil another part of the general plan — viz. to break
up all communication between Bragg and Longstreet

We had all sorts of rumors as to the latter, but it
was manifest that we should interpose a proper force
between these two armies. I therefore directed Gen-
eral Howard to move to Parker's Gap, and thence
send rapidly a competent force to Red Clay, or the
Council-Ground, there to destroy a large section of
the railroad which connects Dalton and Cleveland.
This work was most successfully and fully accomplished
that day. The division of General Jeff. C. Davis was
moved close up to Ringgold to assist General Hooker
if needed, and the Fifteenth corps was held at Grays-
ville for anything that might turn up.
Tennessee Redeemed.

About noon I had a message from General Hooker,
saying he had had a pretty hard fight at the mountain-
pass just beyond Ringgold, and he wanted me to
come forward to turn the position. He was not
aware at the time that Howard by moving through
Parker's Gap toward Red Clay, Lad already turned
it. So I rode forward to Ringgold in person, and
found the enemy had already fallen back to Tunnel
Hill. He was already out of the valley of the Chicka-
mauga, and on ground whence the waters flow to the
Coosa. He was out of Tennessee.

STORY OF CHATTANOOGA. 37S

I found General Grant at Ringgold, and, after some
explanations as to breaKing up the railroad from
Rino-aold back to the State line as soon as some
carj loaded with wounded men could be pushed
back to Chickamauga depot, I was ordered to move
slowly and leisurely back to Chattanooga.

On the following day the Fifteenth corps destroyed
absolutely and effectually the railroad from a point
halfway between Ringgold and Graysville back to the
State line ; and General Grant, coming to Graysville,
consented that, instead of returning direct to Chatta-
nooga, I might send back all my artillery-wagons and
impediments and make a circuit by the north as far
as the Hiawassee River.

On the March to Knoxville.

Accordingly, on the morning of November 29th,
General Howard moved from Parker's Gap to Cleve-
land, General Davis by way of McDaniel's Gap, and
General Blair, with two divisions of the Fifteenth
corps, by way of Julien's Gap, all meeting at Cleve-
land that night. Here another good break was made
in the Dalton and Cleveland road. On the 30th the
army moved to Charleston, General Howard approach-
ing so rapidly that the enemy evacuated with haste.
leaving the bridge but partially damaged, and five
car-loads of flour and provisions on the north bank
of the Hiawassee.

This was to have been the limit of our operations.
Officers and men had brought no baggage or pro-
visions and the weather was bitter cold. I had al-

380 GENERAL SHERMAN.

ready reached the town of Charleston, when General
Wilson arrived with a letter from General Grant at
Chattanooga informing- me that the latest authentic
accounts from Knoxville were to the 27th, at which
time General Burnside was completely invested, and
had provisions only to include the 3d of December;
that General Granger had left Chattanooga for Knox-
ville by the river-road, with a steamboat following
him in the river ; but he feared that General Granger
could not reach Knoxville in time, and ordered me to
take command of all troops moving for the relief of
Knoxville and hasten to General Burnside. Seven
days before we had left our camps on the other side
of the Tennessee with two days' rations, without a
change of clothing — stripped for the fight, with but a
single blanket or coat per man, from myself to the
private included.

Of course, we then had no provisions save what
we gathered by the road, and were ill supplied for
such a march. But we learned that twelve thousand
of our fellow-soldiers were beleaguered in the moun-
tain-town of Knoxville, eighty-four miles distant — that
they needed relief, and must have it in three days.
This was enough, and it had to be done. General
Howard that night repaired and planked the railroad-
bridge, and at daylight the army passed over the
Hiawassee and marched to Athens, fifteen miles.
I had supposed rightly that General Granger was
about the mouth of the Hiawassee, and had sent him
notice of my orders — that General Grant had sent me

STORY OF CHATTANOOGA. 381

a copy of his written instructions, which were full and
complete, and that he must push for Kingstor,, near
which we would make a junction.

Swift Cavalry Movements.

But by the time I reached Athens I had better
studied the geography, and sent him orders, which
found him at Decatur, that Kingston was out of our
way, that he should send his boat to Kingston, but
with his command strike across to Philadelphia, and
report to me there. I had but a small force of
cavalry, which was, at the time of my receipt of
General Grant's orders, scouting over about Benton
and Columbus. I left my aide, Major McCoy, at
Charleston, to communicate with this cavalry and
hurry it forward. It overtook me in the night at
■Athens.

On the 2d of December the army moved rapidly

' north toward Loudon, twenty-six miles distant. About

II A. M. the cavalry passed to the head of the column,

was ordered to push to Loudon, and, if possible, to

save a pontoon-bridge across the Tennessee held

by a brigade of the enemy commanded by General

Vaughn. The cavalry moved with such rapidity as to

capture every picket ; but the brigade of Vaughn had

'i\ artillery in position, covered by earthworks, and dis

played a force too respectable to be carried by a

cavalry dash, so that darkness closed in before Gen-

; eral Howard's infantry got up. The enemy aban-

I doned the place in the night, destroying the pontoons,

>| 'running three locomotives and forty-eight cars into

382 GENEKAL SHERMAN.

the Tennessee River, and abandoned much provision,
four guns, and other material, which General Howard
took at daylight. But the bridge was gone, and we
were forced to turn east and trust to General Burn-
side's bridge at Knoxville. It was all-important that
General Burnside should have notice of our coming,
and but one day of the time remained,

Surmounting Obstacles.

Accordingly, at Philadelphia, during the night of
the 2d of December, I sent my aide (Major Auden-
ried) forward to Colonel Long, commanding the
brigade of cavalry at Loudon, to explain to him how
all-important it was that notice of our approach should
reach General Burnside within twenty-four hours,
ordering him to select the best materials of his com-
mand, to start at once, ford the Litde Tennessee, anc'
push into Knoxville at whatever cost of life ani
horse-fiesh. Major Audenried was ordered to gd
along. The distance to be tiavelled was about forty
miles and the roads villainous. Before day they were
off, and at daylight the Fifteenth corps was turned
from Philadelphia for the Little Tennessee at Morgan-
town, where my maps represented the river as being
very shallow ; but it was found too -deep for fording,
and the water was freezing cold — width two hundred
and forty yards, depth from two to five feet ; horses
could ford, but artillery and men could not. A bridge
was indispensable. General Wilson (who accom-
panied me) undertook to superintend the bridge, and
I am under many obligations to him, as I was withr*>*

STORY OF CHATTANOOGA. S83

an engineer, having sent Captain Jenney back from
Graysville to survey our field of battle. We had our
pioneers, but only such tools as axes, picks, and
spades.

Needless Haste.

General Wilson, v^orking partly with cut wood and
partly with square trestles (made of the houses of the
late town of Morgantown), progressed apace, and by
dark of December 4th troops and animals passed
over the bridge, and by daybreak of the 5th the Fif-
teenth corps (General Blair's) was over, and Gen-
erals Granger s and Davis's divisions were ready to
j pass ; but the diagonal bracing was imperfect for want
of spikes, and the bridge broke, causing delay. I
had ordered General Blair to move out on the Marys-
ville road five miles, there to await notice that Gen-
era' Granger was on a parallel road abreast of him,
and in person I was at a house where the roads
parted, when a messenger rode up, bringing me a
few words from General Burnside to the effect that
Colonel Long had arrived at Knoxville with his cav-
alry, and that all was well with him there ; Longstreet
still lay before the place, but there were symptoms
of his speedy departure.

I felt that I had accomplished the first great step in
the problem for the relief of General Burnside's
army, but still urged on the work. As soon as the
bridge was mended all the troops moved forward.
General Howard had marched from Loudon, had
found a pretty good ford for his horses and wagers

384 GENERAL SHERMAN.

at Davis's, seven miles below Morgantown, and had
made an ingenious bridge of the wagons left by Gen-
eral Vaughn at Loudon on which to pass his men.
He marched by Unitia and Louisville.

" The Deadly Bullet."

On the night of the 5th all the heads of columns
communicated at Marysville, where I met Major Van
Buren (of General Burnside's staff), who announced
that Longstreet had the night before retreated on
the Rutledge, Rogersville, and Bristol road, leading
to Virginia; that General Burnside's cavalry was on
his heels ; and that the general desired to see me in
person as soon as I could come to Knoxville. I or-
dered all the troops to halt and rest, except the two
divisions of General Granger, which were ordered to
move forward to Litde River, and General Granger
to report in person to General Burnside for orders.
His was the force originally designed to reinforce
General Burnside, and it was eminently proper that
it should join in the stern-chase after Longstreet.

On the morning of December 6, 1 rode from Marys-
ville into Knoxville, and met General Burnside. Gen-
eral Granger arrived later in the day. We examined
his lines of fortifications, which were a wonderful
production for the short time allowed in their selec-
tion of ground and construction of work. It seemed
to me that they were nearly impregnable. We exam-
ined the redoubt named " Sanders," where on the
Sunday previous three brigades of the enemy had
assaulted and met a bloody repulse. Now, all was

STORY OF CHATTANOOGA. 385

peaceful and quiet ; but a few hours before the
deadly bullet sought its victim all around about that
hilly barrier.

Burnside's Statement.
The general explained to me fully and frankly
what he had done and what he proposed to do. He
asked of me nothing but General Granger's command,
and suggested, in view of the large force I had
brought from Chattanooga, that I should return with
due expedition to the line of the Hiawassee, lest
Bragg, reinforced, might take advantage of our ab-
I sence to resume the offensive. I asked him to reduce
this to writing, which he did, and I here introduce V
as part of my report :

Headquarters Army of the Ohio, >
Knoxville, December 7, 1863. J

Major- General W. T. Sherman, commanding, etc. :

General: I desire to express to you and your

command my most hearty thanks and gratitude fo|

[I your promptness in coming to our relief during the

siege of Knoxville, and I am satisfied your approach

served to raise the siege. The emergency having

I passed, I do not deem, for the present, any other por-

tj tion of your command but the corps of General

Granger necessary for operations in this section \

and, inasmuch as General Grant has weakened the

forces immediately with him in order to relieve us

(thereby rendering the position of General Thomas

less secure). I deem it advisable that all the troops

'lb

586 GENEKAL SHERMAN.

now here, save those commanded by General
Granger, should return at once to within supporting
distance of the forces in front of Bragg's army. In
behalf of my command I desire again to thank you
and your command for the kindness you have
done us.

I am, general, very respectfully.

Your obedient servant,

A. E. BURNSIDE,

Major- General commanding.

Accordingly, having seen General Burnside's forces
move out of Knoxville in pursuit of Longtreet and
General Granger's move in, I put in motion my own
command to return. General Howard was ordered
to move, via Davis's Ford and Sweetwater, to Athens,
with a guard forward at Charleston to hold and
repair the bridge, which the enemy had retaken after
our passage up. General Jeff C. Davis moved to
Columbus, on the Hiawassee, via Madisonville, and
the two divisions of the Fifteenth corps moved to
Tellico Plains, to cover a movement of cavalry across
the mountains into Georgia to overtake a wagon-
train which had dodged us on our way up, and had
escaped by way of Murphy.

Return to Chattanoog-a.

Subsequently, on a report from General Howard
that the enemy held Charleston, I diverted General
Ewing's division to Athens, and went in person to
Tellico with General Morjjan L. Smithes division. By

STORY OF CHATTANOOGA. 387

the 9th all our troops were in position^ and we held
the rich country between the Little Tenivtissee and the
Hiawassee. The cavalry, under Colonel Long, passed
the mountain at Tellico, and preceded about seven-
teen miles beyond Murphy, when Colonel Long",
deeming his further pursuit of the wagon-train use-
less, returned on the 12th to Tellico. I then ordered
him and the division of General Morgan L. Smith to
move to Charleston, to which point I had previously
ordered the corps of General Howard.

Conferring- with Grant.

On the 14th of December ail of my command in
the field lay along the Hiawassee. Having communi-
cated to General Grant the actual state of affairs, I
received orders to leave on the line of the Hiawassee
all the cavalry, and come to Chattanooga with the rest
of my command. I left the brigade of cavalry com-
manded by Colonel Long, reinforced by the Fifth Ohio
Cavalry (Lieutenant-Colonel Heath) — the only cavalry
properly belonging to the Fifteenth army corps — at
Charleston, and with the remainder moved by easy
marches, by Cleveland and Tyner's Depot, into Chat-
tanooga, where I received in person from General
Grant orders to transfer back to their appropriate
commands the corps of General Howard and the
division commanded by General JefT. C. Davis, and to
conduct the Fifteenth army corps to its new field oi
operations.

It will thus appear that we have been constantly in
motion since our departure from the Big Black in

388 GENERAL SHERMAN.

Mississippi until the present moment. I have been
unable to receive from subordinate commanders the
usual full, detailed reports of events, and have, there-
fore, been compelled to make up this report from my
own personal memory ; but as soon as possible sub-
ordinate reports will be received and duly forwarded.
In reviewing the facts I must do justice to the men
of my command for the patience, cheerfulness, and
courage which officers and men have displayed
throughout in battle, on the march, and in camp
For long periods without regular rations or supplies
of any kind, they have marched through mud and
>ver rocks, sometimes barefooted, without a murmur.

Courag-e even to Rashness.

Without a moment's rest after a march of over four
hundred miles, without sleep for three successive
nights, we crossed the Tennessee, fought our part of
the battle of Chattanooga, pursued the enemy out of
Tennessee, and then turned more than a hundred and
twenty miles north and compelled Longstreet to raise
the siege of Knoxville, which gave so much anxiety
to the whole country. It is hard to realize the im-
portance of these events without recalling the memory
of the general feeling which pervaded all minds at
Chattanooga pnor to our arrival. I cannot speak of
the Fifteenth r.rmy corps without a seeming vanity;
but, ?..s I am no longer its commander, I assert that
there is no p'Jtter body of soldiers in America than
that. I v;iF> all to feel a just pride in its real honors.

To <^enr'ial Howard and his command, to General

4

STORY OF CHATTANOOGA. 389

JefF. C. Davis and his, I am more than usually Indebted
for the intelligence of commanders and fidelity of
commands. The brigade of Colonel Bushbeck, be-
lono-Ing to the Eleventh corps, which was the first to
come out of Chattanooga to my flank, fought at the
Tunnel Hill, in connection with General Ewing's divis-
ion, and displayed a courage almost amounting to
rashness. Following the enemy almost to the tunnel-
gorge, it lost many valuable lives, prominent among
them Lieutenant-Colonel Taft, spoken of as a most
gallant soldier.

In General Howard throughout I found a polished
and Christian gentleman, exhibiting the highest and
most chivalric traits of the soldier. General Davis
handled his division with artistic skill, more especially'
at the moment we encountered the enemy's rear-guard
near Graysville at nightfall. I must award to this
division the credit of the best order during our move-
ment through East Tennessee, when long marches and
the necessity of foraging to the right and left gave
some reason for disordered ranks.

The Test of Fire.

Inasmuch as exception may be taken to my expla-
nation of the temporary confusion during the battle
of Chattanooga of the two brigades of General Ma-
thias and Colonel Raum, I will here state that I saw
the whole and attach no blame to any one. Accidents
will happen in battle, as elsewhere ; and at the point
where they so manfully went to relieve the pressure
on other parts of our assaulting line, they exposed

390 GENERAL SHERMAN.

themselves unconsciously to an enemy vastly superior
in force and favored by the shape of the ground.
Had that enemy come out on equal terms, those
brigades would have shown their mettle, which had
been tried more than once before and stood the test
of fire. They re-formed their ranks and were ready
to support General Ewing's division in a very few
minutes ; and the circumstance would have hardly
called for notice on my part had not others reported
what was seen from Chattanooga, a distance of nearly
five miles, from where could only be seen the troops
in the open field in which this affair occurred.

I now subjoin the best report of casualties I am
able to compile from the records thus far received,
which makes our total loss 1949.

Among the killed were some of our most valuable
officers : Colonels Putnam, Ninety-third Illinois ;
O'Meara, Ninetieth Illinois; and Torrence, Thirtieth
Iowa ; Lieutenant-Colonel Taft of the Eleventh corps,
and Major Bushnell, Thirteenth Illinois.

Amone the wounded are Brioradier-Generals Giles
A. Corse and Mathias ; Colonel Raum ; Colonel
Waugelin, Twelfth Missouri; Lieutenant-Colonel Par-
tridge, Thirteenth Illinois ; Major P. I. Welsh, Fifty-
sixth Illinois ; and Major Nathan McAlla, Tenth Iowa.

Amone the missinor is Lieutenant-Colonel Archer,
Seventeenth Iowa.

My report is already so long that I must forbear
mentioning acts of individual merit. These will be
recorded in the reports of division commanders, which

STORY OP CHATTANOOGA. 391

I will cheerfully indorse ; but I must say that it is but
justice that colonels of regiments, who have so long
and so well commanded brigades, as in the following
cases, should be commissioned to the grade which
they have filled with so much usefulness and credit to
the public service : Colonel J. R. Cockerell, Seven-
tieth Ohio ; Colonel J. M. Loomis, Twenty-sixth
Illinois ; Colonel C. C. Walcutt, Forty-sixth Ohio ;
Colonel J. A. Williamson, Fourth Iowa; Colonel G.
B. Raum, Fifty-sixth Illinois ; Colonel J. I. Alexander,
Fifty-ninth Indiana.

My personal staff, as usual, have served their
country with fidelity and credit to themselves through-
out these events, and have received my personal
thanks.

Inclosed you will please find a map of that part of
the battle-field of Chattanooga fought over by the
troops under my command, surveyed and drawn by
Captain Jenney, engineer on my staff I have the
honor to be, your obedient servant,

W. T. Sherman, Major- General commanding,

[General Order No. 68.]

War Department, Adjutant-General's Office,
Washington, February 21, 1864.

Public Resolution — No. i:

Joint Resolutio7i tendering the thaiiks of Congress to
Major -General IV. T. Sherman and others.

Be it resolved by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America i7i Congress as-

;592 GENERAL SHERMAN.

sembled, That the thanks of Congress and of the
people of the United States are due, and that the same
are hereby tendered, to Major-General W. T. Sher-
man, commander of the Department and Army of the
Tennessee, and the officers and soldiers who served
under him, for their gallant and arduous services in
marching to the relief of the Army of the Cumberland,
and for their gallantry and heroism in the battle of
Chattanooga, which contributed in a great degree ta
the success of our armies in that glorious victory.
Approved February 19, 1864.

By order of the Secretary of War:
E. D. TowNSEND, Assistant Adjutant- General,

CHAPTER XIX.

The Great Atlanta Campaign. -^Grand Forward
Movement.

General Grant in an open letter to General
Sherman, March 2, 1864, acknowledged his gratitude
for the co-operation and skill which had so largely
contributed to his own success. Congress also ten-
dered its thanks for his services in the Chattanooga
campaign. When Grant was made lieutenant-general
he assigned Sherman to the command of the military
Division of the Mississippi, including the Departments
of the Ohio, the Tennessee, the Cumberland, and the
Arkansas, with temporary headquarters at Nashville.
Sherman assumed command March 25.

Two weeks later he received instructions for his
movements against Atlanta. Then began the great
campaign — the march to the sea — which stands in
many respects unrivalled in military history. The
story still lives, and will ever live in the memory of
all men.

The great campaign in Georgia was undertaken
without specific orders. There was opposed to Sher-
man, Joe Johnston's army, numbering sixty-two thou-
sand men. Grant's instructions to Sherman, given
April 4, 1864, embraced only these few words:

" You I propose to move against Johnston's army,

'in

394 GENERAL SHERMAN.

to break it up, and to get Into the interior of the
enemy's country as far as you can, Inflicting all the
damage you can against their war-resources. I do
not propose to lay down for you a plan of campaign,
but simply to lay down the work it is desirable to
have done, and leave you free to execute it in your
own way. Submit to me, however, as early as you
can, your plan of operations."

The task assigned Sherman was a part of Grant's
great plan of campaign for 1864. Banks, then at
New Orleans, was to move on Mobile, Sherman was
to strike the enemy near the heart of the Confed-
eracy, while Grant was to engage Lee in Virginia.
Each of the three commanders aimed to act so vigor-
ously on the offensive that It would be impossible
for the enemy to concentrate his forces against either.

Pusliing- Johnston,

Neither Atlanta nor Augusta nor Savannah was
the objective of Sherman's army, but the army of
Joe Johnston, go where it might. Some words from
Sherman's loyal response to his superior are worth
quoting:

*'That we are now all to act upon a common plan,
converging on a common centre, looks like enlight-
ened war. Like yourself, you take the biggest load,
and from me you shall have thorough and hearty
co-operation. 1 will not let side issues draw me off
from your main plans, in which I am to knock Joseph
Johnston and to do as much damage to the resources
)f the enemy as possible If Banks can at the

ATLANTA CAMPAIGN. 395

same time carry Mobile and open up the Alabama
River, he will in a measure solve the most difficult
part of my problem — viz. ' provisions.' But in that
I must venture. Georgia has a million of inhabitants.
If they can live, we should not starve. If the enemy
interrupt our communications, I will be absolved from
all oblio^ations to subsist on our own resources, and
will feel perfectly justified in taking whatever and
wherever we can find. I will inspire my command, if
successful, with the feeling that beef and salt are all
that is absolutely necessary to life, and that parched
corn once fed General Jackson's ^rmy on that very
ground."

Atlanta Threatened.

Never did an army start upon a great Invasion with
less impedimenta. Tents there were none, even for
the officers, and absolutely nothing was carried except
food, clothing, arms, and ammunition. The advance
began on May 5th, and the enemy was first encoun>
tered at Dalton, strongly intrenched. McPherson's
troops flanked them by a sudden surprise and threat-
ened their communications. Johnston abandoned
Dalton and fell steadily back, fighting several quite
serious engagements as he withdrew. Sherman's
superior force of ninety-nine thousand men and two
hundred and fifty-four guns could not be safely en-
gaged in a general battle except under strong advan-
tages of position and defences.

Sherman, in thus compelling Johnston to evacuate
a position of such extraordinary strength as that of

396 GENERAL SHERMAN.

Dalton, demonstrated his ability to make his way to
Atlanta, between which and Dalton no position was
likely to be held by the Confederates which might not
be as easily turned.

On the morningr of the 14th the Confederates
were in complete readiness to receive an attack, hav-
ing spent the previous night in strengthening their
already formidable earthworks. General Hardee
held their right, General Hood their centre, and
General Polk their left. At an early hour skirmish-
ing commenced. A body of infantry with cavalry
was sent across the Oostanaula to threaten Calhoun
in the rear, farther south on the railroad, by which
movement General Sherman hoped to turn Johnston's
left, and thus cut off his retreat, but this the nature of
the ground rendered impossible.

Deadly Fire.

At noon there was heavy firing along the whole
line. About one o'clock an attempt was made by
Palmer's corps from the left centre to break the
enemy's line and force him from an elevated position
in the immediate front. To reach the point aimed at
it was necessary to descend the slope of a hill com-
manded by the enemy's artillery, to ford a stream
bordered with a thick growth of bushes and vines,
and then to cross a space intersected by ditches and
otherwise obstructed.

Under a murderous fire of musketry and artillery
the hill was descended and the stream crossed ; but
the troops, becoming confused among the ditches and

MAP

CJTY OF MOBILF

DEFENCES

398 GENEKAL SHEEMAN.

obstructions, and finding no shelter from which the
plunging fire of the enemy might be returned, were
forced to retire, after losing one thousand of their
number. Farther to the left, about the same time,
General Judah's division of the Twenty-third corps
and Newton's division of the Fourth drove the enemy
from an important position on their outer line. By
this means, although the position taken was not held,
the National line was advanced. Artillery was also
got into a position which prevented the enemy from
occupying the works. At both extremities of the line
heavy skirmishing took place, the density of the
woods and undergrowth preventing the use o(
artillery.

The Gallant Fifteenth.

About three in the afternoon General Johnston
massed a heavy force on the road to Tilton, with the
view of turning the National left flank, held by Stan-
ley's division of the Fourth corps. The attack was
made with overwhelming numbers, who rushed on
with loud yells, and with such impetuosity that Stan-
ley's troops were forced in confusion from the hill on
which they were posted. The movement ordered by
Johnston had been detected early enough to permit
of Hooker's corps being moved from the centre to
reinforce the National left. The enemy's advance
was soon checked, and, Stanley's troops having been
rallied, the Confederates were about dusk driven
back to their lines with severe loss.

Whilf' this movement was going on, General Mc-

ATLANTA CAMPAIGN. 39*

Pherson sent the Fifteenth corps, with a portion of thq
Sixteenth, across Camp Creek, to carry a hill and rifle-
pits on the enemy's left In front '^f Resaca. This was
effected, and with loss. As this position commanded
the works, the railroad, and the tresde-brldges across
fhe Oostanaula, desperate efforts were made by the
f^nemy after dark to retake it, but In vain. Heavy
columns with fixed bayonets moved up to the very
crest of the hill, but were compelled to retire In con-
fusion before the steady fire of the National troops.
At ten o'clock fighting was over for the day.

"The Troops Rushed in."

Both armies strengthened their positions during
the night; and on the morning of the 15th, under
cover of severe skirmishing, preparations were made
by General Sherman for an assault upon two fortified
hills on the enemy's extreme right, the key of the
whole position. General Hooker's corps was moved
to the extreme left, Howard's, Schofield's, and Palm-
er s to the I'Ight. Soon after one o'clock Hooker sent
Butterfield's division forward as the assaulting column,
supported by the divisions of Geary and Williams.
After several attacks the Confederates were driven
from a portion of their lines, and a lodgment was se.
cured under the projecting works of a lunette mount-
ing four guns.

Further advance, however, was found impossible,
owing to a severe fire from neighboring rifle-pits, and
the troops, seeking such shelter as was available, con-
tented themselves with holding the position gained

400 GENERAI SHERMAN.

Toward the close of the afternoon General Hood's
corps made an unavailing effort to dislodge them.
Later, under cover of night and in spite of a sharp fire
from the Confederates, the ends were dug out of the
works and the guns hauled out with ropes. As soon
as a breach was made the troops rushed in, and after
a fierce struggle made themselves masters of the
lunette.

Too Late.

General Johnston abandoned his position during
the night, leaving behind another four-gun battery and
a quantity of stores, and retreated toward Kingston,
thirty-two miles south of Resaca, on the railroad.
Resaca was immediately occupied by the troops of
General Thomas, who succeeded in saving the wagon-
road bridge. The railroad-bridge, however, had been
burned. Johnston's army owed its escape from Sher-
man at Resaca to the impracticable nature of the
valley between the town and Snake Creek Gap, which
gready retarded the passage of troops, and afforded
the Confederate army time to march from Dalton by
comparatively good roads, which Johnston with wise
foresight had kept in order. Had the National army
arrived first at Resaca, nothing could have saved the
army of the Confederates.

Once in their strong posidon at Resaca, it cost
much severe fighdng to make them abandon it. The
total National loss in the two days' fighting was not
less than four thousand killed and wounded, while
that of the Confederates probably did not exceed two

ATLANTA CAMPAIGN. 401

thousand five hundred, as diey fought for the most
part behind eardiworks. The Confederate loss in-
cluded about one thousand prisoners.

The whole army started in pursuit of Johnston,
General Thomas directly on his rear, crossing the
Oostanaula at Resaca, General McPherson at Lay's
Ferry, a few miles to the south-west, while General
Schofield, makinor a wide detour to the left of Thomas,
marched by obscure roads across the Conasauga and
Coosawattee rivers, which unite near Resaca to form
the Oostanaula. On the 1 7th the march was continued
southward by as many roads as could be found, in a
direction parallel with the railroad, but no enemy was
seen till within the vicinity of Adairsville, thirteen
miles south-west of Resaca, between the railroad and
the Oostanaula. There, about sunset, the advance
division under General Newton had a sharp skirmish
with the enemy's rear-guard. Next morning the
Confederates had disappeared, but were found again
in force four miles beyond Kingston, on ground com-
paratively open and well adapted for a grand battle.
They held strong works at Cassville, five miles east
of Kingston, and on the 19th dispositions were made
for a general engagement.

Supplies at Hand.

While, however, Sherman was converging on the
Confederate position, Johnston retreated in the night
across the Etowah, burning the bridges at Carters-
ville, thus leaving the country north of the Etowah in
the possession of General Sherman. It had, how-

26

402 GENERAL SHEEMAN.

ever, been completely stripped of supplies. Sherman
now gave his troops a few days' rest, the army of
Thomas lying near Cassville, McPherson's about
Kingston, and Schofield's at Cassville depot and
toward the Etowah Bridge. In the mean time, the
railroad, which had received but little injury, was re-
stored to running order. Trains laden with suppHes
arrived at Kingston on the 20th, and the wounded
were sent back to Chattanooga, with which place
telegraphic communication also was kept up as the
army had advanced.

General Jefferson C. Davis had on the 17th marched
toward Rome, at the confluence of the Oostanaula
and Etowah, fifteen miles west of Kingston. After a
sharp fight on the 19th he got possession of the town,
several forts, eight or ten large guns, and large quan-
tities of stores, as well as valuable mills and foundries

Slierinan Hurrying- Forward.

General Johnston retired upon Allatoona Pass, an
almost impregnable position on the railroad, about
five miles south of the Etowah River. General Sher-
man determined not even to attempt the pass in
front, but to turn it. Accordingly, on the 23d, leaving
garrisons at Rome and Kingston, and carrying with
him in wagons supplies for twenty days, he put the
army in motion for Dallas, a town about fifteen miles
south-south-west of Allatoona Pass and eighteen
miles direcdy west of Marietta, hoping by thus threat-
ening Marietta to compel Johnston to evacuate the
oass. The roads throuo^h the rucrored and densely

iNESBORO

MAP OF COUNTRY EF.T'.VEEM CHATTANOOGA, TENN., ANl. ATLANTA CA-

403

404 GENERAL SHERMAN.

wooded region to be traversed were few and bad, and
he march was necessarily slow.

The movement and Its objects were soon detected
by Johnston, who also set his troops in motion toward
Dallas to protect the approaches to Marietta. In the
march upon Dallas, McPherson, holding- the National
right, made a detour south-westward by Van Wert,
about fourteen miles west of Dallas, while Thomas
moved nearly due south, with Schofield on his left.
On the 25th, Hooker's corps, the advance of General
Thomas, moving on the main road to Dallas, when
near Pumpkin Vine Creek met portions of Hood's
and Hardee's corps, and a severe contest took place
for a position at New Hope Church, where three
roads meet from Ackworth, Marietta, and Dallas.

The Eiieiny Intrenched.

The enemy, however, having hastily thrown up
earthworks, and night coming on accompanied by
heavy rain, he retained possession of the roads.
Hooker lost six hundred men in this affair. Next
morning the Confederates were found well intrenched,
substantially in front of the road leading from Dallas
to Marietta. It was necessary, therefore, to make
dispositions on a larger scale. McPherson was
moved up to Dallas, Thomas was deployed against
New I lope Church, and Schofield moved toward the
left, so as to strike and turn the enemy's right.

Ov/Ing to the difficult nature of the country, these
novoments occupied two days and were attended
^ith heavy skirmishing ; but as the vicinity was foi'

ATLANTA CAMPAIGN. 405

the most part densely wooded, artillery could not be
used, and the casualties were comparatively few.
On the 28th, just as McPherson was closing- up to
Thomas in front of New Hope Church, he was re-
peatedly and desperately attacked by a large Con-
federate force, and the contemplated movement
was temporarily checked, but the enemy was finally
driven back with a loss of two thousand killed and
wounded.

The Pass Captured.

After the delay of a few days the movement toward
the left was resumed, McPherson taking up the posi-
tion in front of New Hope Church which Thomas had
previously occupied, Thomas and Schofield taking
positions still farther to the left. This movement was
effected on the ist of June. All the roads leading
back to Allatoona and Ackworth were occupied.
General Stoneman's cavalry pushed into the east end
of Allatoona Pass, and General Garrard's marched
around by the rear to its west entrance. These move
ments being effected without opposition, the pass fel
into Sherman's possession.

Still working toward the left, General Sherman de-
termined on the 4th to leave Johnston in his intrenched
position at New Hope Church, and moved toward the
railroad above Ackworth, which was reached on the
6th of June.

Between Big Shanty and Marietta intervenes a
mountainous district full of defensible positions, cover-
i.ng perfectly the town of Marietta and the railroad aa

406 GENEEAL SHERMAN.

far as the Chattahoochee. Three conical peaks in
this region, Hnks in a continuous forest-covered chain,
form prominent features in the landscape. These are
Kenesaw Mountain, Pine Mountain, and Lost Moun-
tain.

The National lines were gradually advanced toward
the Confederate positions. By the nth the lines were
close up, and dispositions were then made to break
the enemy's line of defence between Kenesaw a::d
Pine mountains.

Hooker Attacked.

On the 2 2d the enemy made a sudden attack on
portions of Hooker's and Schofield's corps on the
National right near the Kulp House. The blow fell
mostly on the divisions of Generals Williams and
Hascall. The ground was comparatively open ; but
though the skirmish-lines and an advanced regiment
of General Schofield's — sent out to hold the enemy in
check until preparations for his reception could be
completed — were driven in, yet when the enemy
reached the National line of battle he received a terri-
ble repulse. Many prisoners were taken, and the
Confederates were compelled to abandon their dead
and wounded. The National centre was now estab-
lished in front of Kenesaw Mountain.

General Sherman determined to assault. His reason
for a departure from the course which had hitherto
been so successful was, that an army to be efficient
must not settle down to one single mode of offence,
but must be prepared to execute any plan likely to

ATLANTA CAMPAIGN. 407

result in success. The part of the enemy's lines
selected to be assaulted was the left centre. A strong
column, if thrust through at that point and pushed on
boldly two and a half miles, would reach the railroad
below Marietta and cut off the enemy's right and
centre from the line of retreat, which could then be
overwhelmed and destroyed.

Sherman's Assault.

On the 24th of June, therefore, General Sherman
ordered that an assault should be made at two points
south of Kenesaw Mountain on the 27th, thus afford-
ing three days for preparation and reconnoissance.
One of these assaults was to be made near Little
Kenesaw by General McPherson's troops, the other
about a mile farther south by those of General
Thomas.

On the morning of the 27th, at the hour and in tha
manner prescribed, the assaults were made, but both
failed, and many valuable lives were lost, including
that of General Harker. At six in the morning
Blair's corps, holding the extreme left of McPherson's
line, moved on the east side of the mountain, while
the corps of Dodge and Logan assaulted the adjoin-
ing northern slope. The brunt of the attack was
borne by three brigades of Logan's corps, v/hich,
pushing impetuously up the hill, scattered the Confed-
erate skirmishers and captured some of their rifle-
pits, taking also some prisoners. These troops pressed
forward till they arrived at the foot of a precipitous
cliff thirty feet high, from which the enemy poured a

40S GENERAL SHERMAN.

plunging fire and rolled down huge stones. Here the
line retired and fortified on the extreme rieht. For
the second and more important attack portions of
the divisions of Newton and Davis were selected.
When the signal was given the troops charged up the
slope of the mountain in face of a murderous fire
from a battery on the summit, penetrated two lines
of abattis, carried a line of rifle-pits beyond, and
reached the works ; but a destructive fire of musketry
and artillery from the enemy soon made it necessary
to recall the men. General Newton's troops returned
to their original line, while the brigade of Davis threw
up breastworks between those they had carried and
the main line of the enemy. The entire contest
lasted little more than an hour, but it cost General
Sherman three thousand men in killed and wounded,
while the enemy, fighting behind breastworks, suffered
litde.

General Sherman could not rest long under the
imputation of defeat or failure. He almost immedi-
ately commenced preparations to turn the enemy's
left. The effect was instantaneous. The object of
the movement was at once detected by General John-
ston, who without further delay prepared to evacuate
Kenesaw Mountain and fall back to the Chattahoochee.
Simultaneously with McPherson's movement, John-
ston's rear-guard abandoned the works which for three
weeks had been so resolutely defended, and before
dawn on the morning of the 3d the National pickets
occupied the crest of Kenesaw.

ATLANTA CAMPAIGN.

409

General Johnston was obliged to leave his new
position by another flank movement, and on the night
of the 4th he fell back to the Chattahoochee, which he
crossed with the main body of his army, leaving
Hardee's corps on the right bank.

The sudden abandonment of his fonriidable line of
defences on the left bank of the river by General
Johnston occasioned the utmost dissatisfaction with
his conduct of the campaign, especially in Atlar.ta,
where it was expected he would
make z stand on the Chattahoo-
chee, which it was argued he
could easily do, being in the im-
mediate neighborhood of his
supplies. His retreat from the
Chattahoochee was the crowninor
offence with the enemies of this
able general, whose inferiority
of force had made it impossible
to avoid Sherman's outflanking

movements, but who had nevertheless kept his army
in a compact body with insignificant losses of guns or
material of war. His removal was loudly demanded,
and on the 17th, in accordance with orders from the
Confederate War Department, he turned over his
command to General Hood, retaining command of
one division.

The whole of General Sherman's army crossed the
Chattahoochee on the T7th, with the exception of
Davis's division of the Fourteenth corps, left to watch

GEN. JOHN B. HOOD.

410 GENERAL SHERMAN.

the railroad-bridge and protect the rear, and prepara-
tions were made to move upon Atlanta.

Fighting continued at various points, and in one of
the bloody combats the gallant McPherson received
his death-wound, devolving the command of the Army
of the Tennessee upon General Logan. This was
July 22d. Sherman's army sustained an irreparable
loss in the death of General McPherson. " He was,"
said Sherman, "a noble youth, of striking personal
appearance, of the highest professional capacity, and
with a heart abounding in kindness that drew to him
the affections of all men." His body was recovered
and carried in the heat of battle to General Sherman,
who sent it, in charge of his personal staff, back to
Marietta, on its way to his Northern home.

Hood was not long in finding out that the army of
Sherman was swinmno round toward the Macon rail-
road, and massed troops in the same direction to
oppose the movement. At noon on the 28th the
Confederates moved out of Atlanta by the Bell's
Ferry road, formed in the open fields behind a rising
ground, and advanced in parallel lines directly against
the Fifteenth corps, expecting to find it detached and
unsupported. Fortunately, Logan's troops had thrown
up breastworks, and, though the advance of the Con-
federate columns was " magnificent," as Sherman, who
witnessed it, said, it was only to be followed by a recoil
before steady volleys of musketry and incessant dis-
charges of grape and canister. In spite of the efforts
of their officers the men broke and fled, and though

ATLANTA CAMPAIGN.

411

rallieJ *'ip;ain and again, at some parts of the line as
often as six. times, they were, about four o'clock in the
afternoon, compelled to retire, with a loss of not less
than five thousand. Logan's loss was reported at less
than six hundred. Had Davis's division come up at

GENERAL SHERMAN DESTROYING THE MACCtN RAILROAD.

any time before four o'clock, this complete repulse of
the enemy might have been made a disastrous rout.
Sherman then began the destruction of the Macon
railroad, thus cutting off Hood's supplies.

On the 31st the Confederates moved out of their
works at Joncsboro and attacked the position of

412 GENERAL SHERMAN.

Howard, but were steadily and repeatedly repulsed.
After a contest of two hours' duration they withdrew,
losing in killed, wounded, and captured three thou-
sand men, besides general officers, including Major-
General Anderson, mortally wounded. Howard's loss
was sliorht, as his men fouorht behind breastworks.
It was observed on this occasion that the Confederate
troops had begun to lose the enthusiasm and dash
which had hitherto characterized their attacks.

Hearing the sounds of battle about noon, Sherman
renewed his orders to push the other movements on
the left and centre. Orders were given for the whole
army to move on Jonesboro. The troops advanced
to the attack across open fields under a withering
artillery and musketry fire. After a desperate fight,
which lasted two hours, they drove the Confederates
from their works, capturing two four-gun batteries —
one of them Loomis's, lost at Chickamauga — some
battle-flags, and a large number of prisoners, includ-
ing the greater part of Govan's brigade, with its
commander, which had formed part of the celebrated
" fiorhtinor division " of Cleburne.

Repeated orders were sent, urging the rapid ad-
vance of Stanley and Schofield, but the want of roada
and the difficult nature of the country prevented their
coming up and getting into position for attack before
further operations were rendered impracticable by
the approach of night. Had they been able to close
in upon Hardee a few hours earlier his entire force
would in all probability have been captured. As it

GENERAL SHERMAN AT ATLANTA.

414 GENERAL SHERMAN.

was, Hardee had to evacuate the place during the
night and fall back seven miles to Lovejoy's, where
he intrenched in a naturally strong position. About
two o'clock in the morning the \t'atchers in Sherman's
camp heard in the direction of Atlanta, about twenty
miles distant, the sounds of heavy explosions, followed
by a succession of minor reports resembling the rapid
firing of cannon and musketry. About four o'clock
similar sounds were heard, indicating a night-attack
on the city by Slocum, or that Hood was blowing up
his magazines and preparing to evacuate Evidently
important events were at hand.

In Atlanta the utmost consternation and excitement
had arisen when it became known that the main army
of Sherman had got between Hardee's force and the
city. Hood immediately gave orders for the evacua-
tion of his works and the removal of as much of the
ammunition and stores as was possible with his limited
means of transportation, and for the destruction of the
rest. Large quantities of provisions in the public
store-houses were distributed to the inhabitants and
to the troops. The rolling stock of the railroads,
consisting of about one hundred cars and six loco-
motives, was gathered together near the rolling-mill
in the evening, by which time all the troops (except
the rear-guard had got away. The cars were then
laden with the surplus ammunition, and, together with
the depots, store-houses, and all that could be of use
to the National army, set on fire about midnight. This
occasioned the series of explosions that had been heard

ATLANTA CAMPAIGN. 415

in Sherman's camp. Slocum, at the Chattahoochee
bridge, also hearing these sounds, sent out early in the
morning of the 2d of September a strong reconnoitring
column, which, pushing forward without meeting any
opposition, arrived at Adanta about nine o'clock,
when the mayor made a formal surrender of the city^
only requesting the security of private property and
protection for non-combantants, which were readily
guaranteed. Sherman's great victory electrified the
country. It was a grand military achievement and
proved his genius and patriotism.

This success, gained on the ist of September, 1864,
was received throughout the country with great en-
thusiasm. President Lincoln sent this message of
thanks and congratulation :

The national thanks are rendered by the President
to Major-General W. T. Sherman and the gallant
officers and soldiers of his command before Atlanta
for the distinguished ability and perseverance dis-
played in the campaign in Georgia, which, under
divine favor, has resulted in the capture of Atlanta.
The marches, battles, sieges, and other military opera-
tions that have signalized the campaign must render
it famous in the annals of war, and have entitled
those who have participated therein to the applause
and thanks of the nation.

Abraham Lincoln,
President of the United States,

General Grant was prompt also in his tribute to

416 GENEKAL SHERMAN.

the great exploit, and telegraphed as follows from
City Point:

Major-General Sherman :

I have just received your despatch announcing the
capture of Adanta. In honor of your great victory I
have ordered a salute to be fired with shotted guns
from every battery bearing upon the enemy. The
salute will be fired within an hour amid great
rejoicing, U. S. Grant,

Lieutenant- General,

CHAPTER XX,

From Atlanta to the Sea. — The Famous
March.

It has been a matter of great interest to the Amer-
ican people to obtain the opinion of European gen-
erals, men who are considered authority on all mili-
tary affairs, concerning the relative merits of our
commanders who made themselves famous during our
sanguinary struggle. By universal consent General
Sherman's wonderful march to the sea stands as one
of the crowning achievements in the history of modern
warfare.

It was unparalleled. No other march can be com-
pared with it, and there are good authorities who
maintain that it was the boldest, best planned, most
important undertaking in our civil war, and one which,
being carried to an issue completely successful,
stamped the hero of it as the greatest of all our
commanders, and one unsurpassed in the annals of
war.

In this chapter we favor the reader with General
Sherman's own graphic narrative of his famous maro^
to the sea.

The thrilling narrative is as follows:

27 417

1

418 GENERAL SHERMAN.

Headquarters of the Military Division of the Mississippi,
IN THE Field, Savannah, Georgia, January ist, 1865.

Major-General H. W. Halleck, Chief of Staffs

Washington City, D. C :

General : I have the honor to offer my report of
the operations of the armies under my command, since
the occupation of Atlanta in the early part of Sep-
tember last up to the present date.

As heretofore reported, in the month of September
the Army of the Cumberland, Major-General Thomas
commanding, held the city of Atlanta ; the Army of
the Tennessee, Major-General Howard commanding,
was grouped about East Point ; and the Army of the
Ohio, Major-General Schofield commanding, held
Decatur. Many changes occurred in the composition
of these armies in consequence of the expiration of
the time of service of many of the regiments. The
opportunity was given us to consolidate the frag-
ments, reclothe and equip the men, and make prepa-
rations for the future campaign. I also availed myself
of the occasion to strengthen the garrisons to our
rear, to make our communications more secure, and
sent Wagner's division of the Fourth corps and Mor=
gan's division of the Fourteenth corps back to Chatta-
nooga, and Corse's division of the Fifteenth corps to
Rome. Also a thorough reconnoissance was made
of Atlanta, and a new line of works begun, which
required a smaller garrison to hold.

During this month the enemy, whom we had left at
Lovejoy's Station, moved westward toward the Chat-
tahoochee, taking position facing us, and covering the

420 GENERAL SHERMAN.

West Point railroad about Palmetto Station. He also
threw a pontoon-bridge across the Chattahoochee, and
sent cavalry detachments to the woods in the direction
of Carrollton and Powder Springs. About the same
time President Davis visited Macon and his army at
Palmetto, and made harangues referring to an active
campaign against us. Hood still remained in com-
mand of the Confederate forces, with Cheatham, S.
D. Lee, and Stewart commanding his three corps, and
Wheeler in command of his cavalry, which had been
largely reinforced.

Making Preparations.

My cavalry consisted of two divisions: one was
stationed at Decatur, under the command of Brigadier-
General Garrard ; the other, commanded by Brigadier-
General Kilpatrick, was posted near Sandtown, with
a pontoon-bridge over the Chattahoochee, from which
he could watch any movement of the enemy toward
the west.

As soon as I became convinced that the enemy in-
tended to assume the offensive — namely, September
28 — I sent Major-General Thomas, second in com-
mand, to Nashville, to organize the new troops ex-
pected to arrive and to make preliminary preparations
to meet such an event.

About the ist of October some of the enemy's
cavalry made their appearance on the west of the
Chattahoochee, and one of his infantry corps was
reported near Powder Springs, and I received authen-
tic intelligence that the rest of his infantry was cross-
ing to the west of the Chattahoochee. I at once made

MARCHING THROUGH GEORGIA. 42?

my orders that Atlanta and the Chattahoochee railroad-
bridge should be held by the Twentieth corps, Major-
General Slocum, and on the 4th of October put in
motion the Fifteenth and Seventeenth corps, and
the Fourth, Fourteenth, and Twenty-third corps, to
Smyrna camp-ground, and on the 5th moved to the
strong position about Kenesaw. The enemy's cavalry
had, by a rapid movement, got upon our railroad at
Big Shanty and broken the line of telegraph and rail-
road, and with a division of infantry (French's) had
moved against Allatoona, where were stored about
a million of rations. Its redoubts were garrisoned
by three small regiments under Colonel Tourtellotte,
Fourth Minnesota.

The Smoke of Battle.

I had anticipated this movement, and had, by signal
and telegraph, ordered General Corse to reinforce that
post from Rome.

General Corse had reached Allatoona with a brigade
during the night of the 4th, just in time to meet the
attack by French's division on the morning of the 5th.
In person I reached Kenesaw Mountain about 10 a. m.
of the 5th, and could see the smoke of batde and
hear the faint sounds of artillery. The distance, eigh-
teen miles, was too great for me to make in time to
share in the batde, but I directed the Twenty-third
corps, Brigadier-General Cox commanding, to move
rapidly from the base of Kenesaw due west, aiming
to reach the road from Allatoona to Dallas, threatening
the rear of the forces attacking Allatoona. I succeeded

422 GENERAL SHERMAN.

in getting a signal message to General Corse during his
fight, notifying him of my presence. The defence of
Allatoona by General Corse was admirably conducted,
and the enemy repulsed with heavy slaughter. His
description of the defence is so graphic that it leaves
nothing for me to add, and the movement of General
Cox had the desired effect of causing the withdrawal
of French's division rapidly in the direction of Dallas.

Strategic Movements.

On the 6th and 7th I pushed my cavalry well toward
Burnt Hickory and Dallas, and discovered that the
enemy had moved westward, and inferred that he
would attempt to break our railroad again in the
neighborhood of Kingston. Accordingly, on the
morning of the 8th I put the army in motion through
Allatoona Pass to Kingston, reaching that point on the
loth. There I learned that the enemy had feigned on
Rome, and was passing the Coosa River on a pontoon-
bridge about eleven miles below Rome. I therefore
on the nth moved to Rome, and pushed Garrard's
cavalry and the Twenty-third corps, under General
Cox, across the Oostanaula, to threaten the flanks of
the enemy passing north. Garrard's cavalry drove
a cavalry brigade of the enemy to and beyond the
Narrows, leading into the valley of the Chattooga,
capturing two field-pieces and taking some prisoners.

The enemy had moved with great rapidity, and
made his appearance at Resaca, and Hood had in
person demanded its surrender I had from. Kingston
reinforced Resaca by two regiments of the Army of

MARCHING THROUGH GEORGIA. 423

the Tennessee. I at first intended to move the army
into the Chattooga Valley, to interpose between the
enemy and his line of retreat down the Coosa, but
feared that General Hood would in that event turn
eastward by Spring Place and down the Federal road,
and therefore moved against him at Resaca. Colonel
Weaver at Resaca, afterward reinforced by Gen-
eral Raum's brigade, had repulsed the enemy from
Resaca, but he had succeeded in breaking the rail-
road from Tilton to Dalton, and as far north as the
tunnel.

Arriving at Resaca on the evening of the 14th, I
determined to strike Hood in flank or force him to
battle, and directed the Army of the Tennessee, Gen-
eral Howard, to move to Snake Tree Gap, which was
held by the enemy, while General Stanley, with the
Fourth and Fourteenth corps, moved by Tilton across
the mountains to the rear of Snake Creek Gap, in the
neighborhood of Villanow.

The Army of the Tennessee found the enemy occu-
pying our old lines in the Snake Creek Gap, and on
the 15th skirmished for the purpose of holding him
there until Stanley could get to his rear. But the
enemy gave way about noon, and was followed through
the gap, escaping before General Stanley had reached
the farther end of the pass. The next day, the i6th,
the armies moved directly toward La Fayette with a
view to cut off Hood's retreat. We found him in-
trenched in Ship's Gap, but the leading division
(Wood's) of the Fifteenth corps rapidly carried the

424 GENERAL SHERMAN.

advanced posts held h>y two companies of a South
Carolina regiment, making them prisoners. The re-
maining eight companies escaped to the main body
near La Fayette.

Hood's Rapid March.

The next morning we passed over into the valley
of the Chattooga, the Army of the Tennessee moving
in pursuit by La Fayette and Alpine toward Blue
Pond ; the Army of the Cumberland by Summerville
and Melville post-office to Gaylesville ; and the Army
of the Ohio and Garrard's cavalry from Villanow,
Dirttown Valley, and Gooer's Gap to Gaylesville.
Hood, however, was little encumbered with trains and
marched with great rapidity, and had succeeded in
getting into the narrow gorge formed by the Lookout
Range abutting against the Coosa River in the neigh-
borhood of Gadsden. He evidently wanted to avoid
a fio^ht.

On the 19th all the armies were grouped about
Gaylesville, in the rich valley of the Chattooga,
abounding in corn and meat, and I determined to
pause in my pursuit of the enemy, to watch his move-
ments, and live on the country. I hoped that Hood
would turn toward Guntersville and Bridgeport. The
Army of the Tennessee was posted near Little River,
with instructions to feel forward in support of the
cavalry, which was ordered to watch Hood in the
neighborhood of Will's Valley, and to give me the
earliest notice possible of his turning northward. The
Army of the Ohio was posted at Cedar Bluff, with

MARCHING THROUGH GEORGIA. 425

orders to lay a pontoon across the Coosa, and to feel
forward to Centre and down in the direction of Blue
Mountain. The Army of the Cumberland was held
in reserve at Gaylesville, and all the troops were in-
structed to draw heavily for supplies from the surround-
ing country. In the mean time, communications were
opened to Rome, and a heavy force set to work in re-
pairing the damages done to our railroads. Atlanta
was abundantly snpplied with provisions, but forage
was scarce, and General Slocum was instructed to
send strong foraging-parties out in the direction of
South River and collect all the corn and fodder possi-
ble, and to put his own trains in good condition for
further service.

A Wary Foe.

Hood's movements and strategy had demonstrated
that he had an army capable of endangering at all
times my communications, but unable to meet me in
open fight. To follow him would simply amount to
being decoyed away from Georgia, with little prospect
of overtaking and overwhelming him. To remain on
the defensive would have been bad policy for an army
of so great value as the one I then commanded, and I
was forced to adopt a course more fruitful in results
than the naked one of following him to the South-west.
I had previously submitted to the commander-in-chief
a general plan, which amounted substantially to the
destruction of Atlanta and the railroad back to Chat-
tanooga, and, sallying forth from Atlanta through the
heart of Georgia, to capture one or more of the great

426 GENERAL SHERMAN.

Atlantic seaports. This I renewed from Gaylesville,
modified somewhat by the change of events.

On the 26th of October, satisfied that Hood had
moved westward from Gadsden across Sand Moun-
tain, I detached the Fourth corps, Major-General
Stanley, and ordered him to proceed to Chattanooga
and report to Major-General Thomas at Nashville.

Subsequently, on the 30th of October, I also de-
tached the Twenty-third corps, Major-General Scho-
field, with the same destination, and delegated to
Major-General Thomas full power over all the troops
subject to my command, except the four corps with
which I designed to move into Georgia. This gave
him the two divisions under A. J. Smith, then in Mis-
souri, but eti route for Tennessee, the two corps named,
and all the garrisons in Tennessee, as also all the
cavalry of my military division, except one division
under Brigadier-General Kilpatrick, which was ordered
to rendezvous at Marietta.

Defence of the Railroad.

Brevet Major-General Wilson had arrived from the
Army of the Potomac to assume command of the
cavalry of my army, and I despatched him back to
Nashville with all dismounted detachments, and orders
as rapidly as possible to collect the cavalry serving in
Kentucky and Tennessee, to mount, organize, and
equip them, and to report to Major-General Thomas
for duty. These forces I judged would enable Gen-
eral Thomas to defend the railroad from Chattanooga
back, including Nashville and Decatur, and give him

MARCHING THROUGH GEORGIA. 427

an army with which he could successfully cope with
Hood should the latter cross the Tennessee north-
ward.

By the ist of November, Hood's army had moved
from Gadsden, and made its appearance in the neigh-
borhood of Decatur, where a feint was made ; he then
passed on to Tuscumbia and laid a pontoon-bridge
opposite Florence. I then began my preparations for
the march through Georgia, having received the sanc-
tion of the commander-in-chief for carrying into effect
my plan, the details of which were explained to all
my corps commanders and heads of staff departments,
with strict injunctions of secrecy. I had also com-
municated full details to General Thomas, and had
informed him I would not leave the neighborhood of
Kingston until he felt perfectly confident that he was
entirely prepared to cope with Hood should he carry
into effect his threatened invasion of Tennessee and
Kentucky. I estimated Hood's force at thirty-five
thousand infantry and ten thousand cavalry.

Crippling the Enemy.

I moved the Army of the Tennessee by slow and
easy marches on the south of the Coosa back to the
neighborhood of the Smyrna camp-ground, and the
Fourteenth corps, General Jeff. C. Davis, to Kingston,
whither I repaired in persoi. n the 2d of November.
From that point I directea J.1I surplus artillery, all
baggage not needed for my contemplated march, all
the sick and wounded, refugees, etc., to be sent back
to Chattanooga ; and the Fourteenth corps above-

428 GENERAL SHERMAN.

mentioned, with Kilpatrick's cavalry, was put in the
most efficient condition possible for a long and
difficult march. This operation consumed the time
until the nth of November, when, everything being
ready, I ordered General Corse, who still remained at
Rome, to destroy the bridges there, all foundries,
mills, shops, warehouses, or other property that
could be useful to an enemy, and to move to
Kinorston.

At the same time the railroad in and about Atlanta
and between the Etowah and the Chattahoochee was
ordered to be utterly destroyed. The garrisons from
Kingston northward were also ordered to draw back
to Chattanooga, taking with them all public property
and all railroad stock, and to take up the rails from
Resaca back, saving them, ready to be replaced
whenever future interests should demand.

The railroad between the Etowah and the Oosta-
naula was left untouched, because I thought it more
than probable that we would find it necessary to
reoccupy the country as far forward as the line of the
.Etowah.

Atlanta itself Is only of strategic value as long as it
is a railroad-centre ; and as all the railroads leading
to it are destroyed, as well as all its foundries,,
machine-shops, warehouses, depots, etc., etc., It is of
no more value than any other point In Northern
Georgia ; whereas the line of the Etowah, by reason
of its rivers and natural features, possesses an im-
portance which will always continue. From it all

MARCHING THROUGH GEORGIA. 429

parts of Georgia and Alabama can be reached by
armies marching with trains down the Coosa or the
Chattahoochee Valley.

All Coniniunication Cut Off,

On the 1 2th of November my army stood detached
and cut off from all communication with the rear. It
was composed of four corps : the Fifteenth and Seven-
teenth, constituting the right wing, under Major-Gen-
eral O. O, Howard ; the Fourteenth and Twentieth
corps, constituting the left wing, under Major-General
H. W. Slocum — of an aggregate strength of sixty
thousand infantry ; one cavalry division, in aggregate
strength five thousand five hundred, under Brigadier-
General Judson Kilpatrick; and the artillery reduced
to the minimum, one gun per one thousand men.

The whole force was moved rapidly, and grouped
about Atlanta on the 14th of November.

In the mean time, Captain O. M. Poe had thoroughly
destroyed Atlanta, save its mere dwelling-houses and
churches, and the right wing, with General Kilpat-
rick's cavalry, was put in motion in the direction of
Jonesboro and McDonough, with orders to make a
strong feint on Macon, to cross the Ocmulgee about
Planters' Mills, and rendezvous in the neighborhood
of Gordon in seven days, exclusive of the day of
march. On the same day General Slocum moved
with the Twentieth corps by Decatur and Stone
Mountain, with orders to tear up the railroad from
Social Circle to Madison, to burn the large and im-
portant railroad-bridge across the Oconee, east of

480 GENERAL SHERMAN.

Madison, and turn south and reach Milledgeville on
the seventh day, exclusive of the day of march. In
person I left Atlanta on the i6th, in company with
the Fourteenth corps, Brevet Major-General Jeff. C.
Davis, by Lithonia, Covington, and Shady Dale,
directly on Milledgeville. All the troops were pro-
vided with good wagon-trains loaded with ammunition
and supplies, approximating twenty days' bread, forty
days' sugar and coffee, a double allowance of salt for
forty days, and beef cattle equal to forty days' sup-
plies. The wagons were also supplied with about
three days' forage in grain. All were instructed by
a judicious system of foraging to maintain this order
of things as long as possible, living chiefly if not
solely upon the country, which I knew to abound in
corn, sweet potatoes, and meats.

Atlanta Doomed.

My first object was of course to place my army in
the very heart of Georgia, interposing between Macon
and Augusta, and obliging the enemy to divide his
forces to defend not only those points, but Millen,
Savannah, and Charleston. All my calculations were
fully realized. During the 2 2d, General Kilpatrick
made a good feint on Macon, driving the enemy
within his intrenchments, and then drew back to
Griswoldville, where Walcutt's brigade of infantry
joined him to cover that flank, while Howard's trains
were closing up and his men scattered breaking up
railroads. The enemy came out of Macon and at-
tacked Walcutt in position, but was so roughly

MARCHING THROUGH GEORGIA. 431

handled that he never repeated the experiment. On
the eighth day after leaving Atlanta — namely, on the
23d — General Slocum occupied Milledgeville and the
important bridge across the Oconee there, and Gen-
erals Howard and Kilpatrick were in and about
Gordon.

RescuiH§r Prisoners.

General Howard was then ordered to move east-
ward, destroying the railroad thoroughly in his
progress, as far as Tennille Station, opposite Sanders-
Wile, and General Slocum to move to Sandersville by
two roads. General Kilpatrick was ordered to Mil-
ledgeville and thence move rapidly eastward to
break the railroad which leads from Millen to
Augusta, then to turn upon Millen and rescue our
prisoners of war supposed to be confined at that
place.

I accompanied the Twentieth corps from Milledge-
ville to Sandersville, approaching which place on the
25th we found the bridges across Buffalo Creek
burned, which delayed us three hours. The next day
we entered Sandersville, skirmishing with Wheeler's
cavalry, which offered little opposition to the advance
of the Twentieth and Fourteenth corps, entering the
place almost at the same moment.

General Slocum was then ordered to tear up and
destroy the Georgia Central railroad from Station 13
(Tennille) to Station lo, near the crossing of the
Ogeechee, one of his corps substantially following the
railroad, the other by way of Louisville, in support of

432 GENERAL SHERMAN.

Kilpatrick*s cavalry. In person I shifted to the right
wing, and accompanied the Seventeenth corps, Gen-
eral Blair, on the south of the railroad till abreast of
Station 9^ (Barton) — General Howard in person,
with the Fifteenth corps, keeping farther to the right
and about one day's march ahead, ready to turn
against the flank of any enemy who should oppose
our progress.

Gallant Kilpatrick,
At Barton I learned that Kilpatrick's cavalry had
reached the Augusta railroad about Waynesboro,
where he ascertained that our prisoners had been
removed from Millen, and therefore the purpose of
rescuing them, upon which we had set our hearts, was
an impossibility. But as Wheeler's cavalry had hung
around him, and as he had retired to Louisville to
meet our infantry, in pursuance of my instructions not
to risk battle unless at great advantage, I ordered
him to leave his wagons and all encumbrances with
the left wing, and, moving in the direction of Augusta
if Wheeler gave him an opportunity, to indulge him
with all the fighting he wanted. General Kilpatrick,
supported by Baird's division of infantry of the Four-
teenth corps, again moved in the direction of Waynes
boro, and, encountering Wheeler in the neighborhood
of Thomas's Station, attacked him in position, driving
him from three successive lines of barricades hand-
somely through Waynesboro and across Brier Creek,
the bridges over which he burned, and then, with
Baird's division, rejoined the left wing, which in the

434 GENERAL SHERMAN.

mean time had been marching by easy stages of ten
miles a day in the direction of Lumpkin's Station and
Jacksonboro.

The Seventeenth corps took up the destruction of
the railroad at the Ogeechee near Station lo, and
continued it to Millen, the enemy offering little or no
opposition, although preparations had seemingly been
made at Millen.

On the 3d of December the Seventeenth corps,
which I accompanied, was at Millen ; the Fifteenth
corps, General Howard, was south of the Ogeechee,
opposite Station 7 (Scarboro) ; the Twentieth corps,
General Slocum, on the Augusta railroad, about four
miles north of Millen, near Buckhead Church ; and
the Fourteenth corps, General Jeff. C. Davis, in the
neighborhood of Lumpkin's Station, on the Augusta
railroad.

Aiming for Savannah.

All were ordered to march in the direction of
Savannah, the Fifteenth corps to continue south of
the Ogeechee, the Seventeenth to destroy the railroad
as far as Ogeechee Church ; and four days were
allowed to reach the line from Ogeechee Church to
the neighborhood of Halley's Ferry on the Savannah
River. All the columns reached their destination on
time, and continued to march on their several roads —
General Davis following the Savannah River road.
General Slocum the middle road by way of Spring-
field, General Blair the railroad, and General Howard
still south and west of the Ogeechee, with orders to

MARCHING THROUGH GEORGIA. 43ji

cross to the east bank opposite " Eden Station," or
Station No. 2.

As we approached Savannah the country became
more marshy and difficult, and more obstructions
were met in the way of felled trees where the roads
crossed the creek-swamps on narrow causeways.
But our pioneer companies were well organized, and
removed these obstructions in an incredibly short
time. No opposition from the enemy worth speak-
ing of was encountered until the heads of the columns
were within fifteen miles of Savannah, where all the
roads leading to the city were obstructed more or less
by felled timber, with earthworks and artillery. But
these were easily turned and the enemy driven away,
so that by the loth of December the enemy was
driven within his lines at Savannah. These followed
substantially a swampy creek which empties into the
Savannah River about three miles above the city
across to the head of a corresponding stream which
empties into the Little Ogeechee.

The City Invested.

These streams were singularly favorable to the
enemy as a cover, being very marshy and bordered
by rice-fields, which were flooded either by the tide-
water or by inland ponds, the gates to which were
controlled and covered by his heavy artillery. The
only approaches to the city were by five narrow cause-
ways— namely, the two railroads, and the Augusta,
the Louisville, and the Ogeechee dirt roads — all of
which were commanded by heavy ordnance, too

436 GENERAL SHERMAN,

Strong for us to fight with our Hght field-guns. To
assault an enemy of unknown strength at such a dis-
advantage appeared to me unwise, especially as I had
so successfully brought my army, almost unscathed,
so great a distance, and could surely attain the same
result by the operation of time.

I therefore instructed my army commanders to
closely invest the city from the north and west, and
to reconnoitre well the ground in their fronts respect-
ively, while I gave my personal attention to open-
ing communication with our fleet, which I knew was
waiting for us in Tybee, Wassaw, and Ossabaw
sounds.

In approaching Savannah, General Slocum struck
the Charleston railroad near the bridge, and occupied
the river-bank as his left flank, where he had captured
two of the enemy's river-boats, and had prevented
two others (gunboats) from coming down the river to
communicate with the city ; while General Howard,
by his right flank, had broken the Gulf railroad at
Fleming's and Way Station, and occupied the railroad
itself down to the Little Ogeechee near Station i, so
that no supplies could reach Savannah by any of its
accustomed channels.

Ample Supplies.

We, on the contrary, possessed large herds of
cattle, which we had brought alono- or orathered in
the country, and our wagons still contained a reason-
able amount of breadstuffs and other necessaries, and
the fine rice-crops of the Savannah and Ogeechee

MARCHING THROUGH GEORGIA. 437

fivers furnished to our men and animals a large
amount of rice and rice-straw.

We also held the country to the south and west of
the Ogeechee as fo raging-ground.

Still, communication with the fleet was of vital im-^
portance, and I directed General Kilpatrick to cross
the Ogeechee by a pontoon-bridge, to reconnoitre
Fort McAllister, and to proceed to St. Catharine's
Sound in the direction of Sunbury or Kilkenny Bluff,
and open communication with the fleet. General
Howard had previously, by my direction, sent one
of his best scouts down the Ogeechee in a canoe for
a like purpose. But more than this was necessary.
We wanted the vessels and their contents, and the
Ogeechee River, a navigable stream close to the rear
of our camps, was the proper avenue of supply.

Quick Work.

The enemy had burned the road-bridge across the
Ogeechee, just below the mouth of the Camochee,
known as " Kino^'s Bridore." This was reconstructed
in an incredibly short time in the most substantial
manner by the First Missouri Reserves, Fifteenth
corps, under the direction of Captain Reese of the
Engineer Corps, and on the morning of the 13th
December the second division of the Fifteenth corps,
under command of Brig-adler-General Hazen, crossed
the bridge to the west bank of the Ogeechee, and
marched down with orders to carry by assault Fort
McAllister, a strong inclosed redoubt manned by two
companies of artillery and three of infantry, in all

438 GENERAL SHERMAN.

about two hundred men, and mounting twenty-three
guns en bai^bette and one mortar.

General Hazen reached the vincinity of Fort Mc-
Allister about one p. m., deployed his division about
the place, with both flanks resting upon the river,
posted his skirmishers judiciously behind the trunks
of trees whose branches had been used for abattis,
and about five p. m. assaulted the place with nine
regiments at three points, all of them successfully.
I witnessed the assault from a rice-mill on the oppo-
site bank of the river, and can bear testimony to the
handsome manner in which it was accomplished.

Up to this time we had not communicated with our
fleet. From the signal-station at the rice-mill our
officers had looked for two days over the rice-fields
and salt marsh in the direction of Ossabaw Sound,
but could see nothing of it. But while watching the
preparations for the assault on Fort McAllister we
discovered in the distance what seemed to be the
smoke-stack of a steamer, which became more and
more distinct, until at about the very moment of the
assault she was plainly visible below the fort, and our
signal was answered.

At the Fort.

As soon as I saw our colors fairly planted upon
the walls of McAllister, in company with General
Howard, 1 went in a small boat down to the fort, and
met General Hazen, who had not yet communicated
with the gunboat below, as it was shut out to him by
a point of timber. Determmed to communicate that

MARCHING THROUGH GEORGIA. 439

night, I got another small boat and a crew, and pulled
down the river till I found the tug Dandelion, Captain
Williamson, U. S. N., who informed me that Captain
Duncan, who had been sent by General Howard, had
succeeded in reaching Admiral Dahlgren and General
Foster, and that he was expecting them hourly in
Ossabaw Sound. After making communications to
those officers and a short communication to the War
Department, I returned to Fort McAllister that night,
and before daylight was overtaken by Major Strong
of General Foster's staff, advising me that General
Foster had arrived in the Ogeechee near Fort Mc-
Allister, and was very anxious to meet me on board
his boat. I accordingly returned with him, and met
General Foster on board the steamer Nemaha, and,
after consultation, determined to proceed with him
down the sound, in hopes to meet Admiral Dahlgren.
But we did not meet him until we reached Wassaw
Sound, about noon. I there went on board the
admiral's flag-ship, the Harvest Moon, after having
arranged with General Foster to send us from Hilton
Head some siege ordnance and some boats suitable
for navigating the Ogeechee River.

Admiral Dahlgren very kindly furnished me with
all the data concerning his fleet and the numerous
forts that guarded the inland channels between the
sea and Savannah. I explained to him how com-
pletely Savannah was invested at all points save only
the plank-road on the South Carolina shore, known
as the " Union Causeway," which I thought I could

440 GENERAL SHERMAi.

reach froR. my left flank across the Savannah River
I explained to him that if he would simply engage the
attention of the forts along Wilmington Channel at
Beaulieu and Rosedew, I thought I could carry the
defences of Savannah by assault as soon as the heavy
ordnance arrived from Hilton Head.

On the 15th the admiral carried me back to Fort
McAllister, whence I returned to our lines in the rear
of Savannah.

Surrender Refused.

Having received and carefully considered all the
reports of division commanders, I determined to
assault the lines of the enemy as soon as my heavy
ordnance came from Port Royal, first making a formal
demand for surrender. On the 17th a number of
thirty-pounder Parrott guns having reached King's
Bridge, I proceeded in person to the headquarters
of Major-General Slocum on the Augusta road, and
despatched thence into Savannah, by flag of truce,
a formal demand for the surrender of the place, and
on the following day received an answer from Gen-
eral Hardee, refusing to surrender.

In the mean time, further reconnoissances from our
left flank had demonstrated that it was impracticable
or unwise to push any considerable force across the
Savannah River, for the enemy held the river oppo-
site the city with iron-clad gunboats, and could destroy
any pontoons laid down by us between Hutchinson's
Island and the South Carolina shore, which would
isolate any force sent over from that flank.

MARCHING THROUGH GEORGIA. 441

I therefore ordered General Slocum to get into
position the siege-guns and make all the preparations
necessary to assault, and to report to me the earliest
moment when he could be ready, while I should pro-
ceed rapidly round by the right and make arrange-
ments to occupy the Union causeway from the direc-
tion of Port Royal. General Foster had already
established a division of troops on the peninsula or
neck between the Coosahatchie and Tullifinney rivers,
at the head of Broad River, from which position he
could reach the railroad with his artillery.

Preparing for an Assault.

I went to Port Royal in person and made arrange-
ments to reinforce that command by one or more
divisions under a proper officer, to assault and carry
the railroad, and thence turn toward Savannah until
it occupied the causeway in question. I went on
board the admiral's flag-ship, the Harvest Moon,
which put to sea the night of the 20th. But the wind
was high and Increased during the night, so that the
pilot judged Ossabaw Bar impassable, and ran into
Tybee, whence we proceeded through the inland
channels into Wassaw Sound, and thence through
Romney Marsh. But the ebb-tide caught the Harvest
Moon, and she was unable to make the passage.
Admiral Dahlgren took me In his barge, and, pulling
in the direction of Vernon River, we met the army-
tug Red Legs, bearing a message from my adjutant,
Captain Dayton, of that morning, the 21st, to the
effect that our troops were In possession of the

442 GENERAL SHERMAN.

enemy's lines, and were advancing without opposi-
tion into Savannah, the c ntmy having evacuated the
place during the previous niglu.

Admiral Dahlgren proceeded up the Vernon River
in his barge, while I transferred to the tug, in which I
proceeded to Fort McAhister, and thence to the rice-
mill, and on the morning of the 2 2d rode into the city
of Savannah, already occupied by our troops.

Hardee Escapes.

I was very much disappointed that Hardee had
escaped with his garrison, and had to content myself
with the material fruits of victory without the cost of
hfe which would have attended a general assault. The
substantial results will be more clearly set forth in the
tabular statements of heavy ordnance and other
pubHc property acquired, and it will suffice here to
state that the important city of Savannah, with its
valuable harbor and river, was the chief object of the
campaign.

With it we acquired all the forts and heavy ordnance
,n its vicinity, with large stores of ammunition, shot
^nd shells, cotton, rice, and other valuable products
of the country. We also gain locomotives and cars,
which, though of little use to us in the present condi-
tion of the railroads, are a serious loss to the enemy,
as well as four steamboats gained, and the loss to the
enemy of the iron-clad Savannah, one ram, and three
transports blown up or burned by them the night
before.

Formal demand havlnor been made for the surren-

MARCHING THROUGH GEORGIA.

443

der, and having been refused, I contend that every-
thing within the line of intrenchments belongs to the
Unired States, and I shall not hesitate to use it, if
necessary, for public purposes. But, inasmuch as the

SAVANNAH, GEORGIA.

inhabitants generally have manifested a friendly dis-
position, I shall disturb them as little as possible con-
sistently with the military rights of present and future
military commanders, without remitting in the least
our just rights as captors.

^44 GENERAL SHERMAN.

Our Army in Savannah.

After having made the necessary orders for the
disposition of the troops in and about Savannah, I
ordered Captain O. M. Poe, chief engineer, to make
a thorough examination of the enemy's works in and
about Savannah, with a view to makinor it conform to
our future uses. New Hnes of defences will be built,
embracing the city proper, Forts Jackson, Thunder-
bolt, and Pulaski retained, with slight modifications in
;heir armament and rear defences. All the rest of
the enemy's forts will be dismantled and destroyed,
and their heavy ordnance transferred to Hilton Head,
where it can be more easily guarded.

Our base of supplies will be established in Savannah
as soon as the very difficult obstructions placed in the
river can be partially removed. These obstructions
at present offer a very serious impediment to the
commerce of Savannah, consisting of cribwork of logs
and timber heavily bolted together and filled with the
cobble-stones which formerly paved the streets of
Savannah. All the channels below the city were found
more or less filled with torpedos, which have been re-
moved by order of Admiral Dahlgren, so that Savan-
nah already fulfils the important part it was designed
in our plans for the future.

In thus sketching the course of events connected
with this campaign, I have purposely passed lightly
over the march from Atlanta to the seashore, because
it was made in four or more columns, sometimes at
a distance of fifteen or twenty miles from each other,

MARCHING THROUGH GEORGIA. 445

and it was impossible for me to attend but one. I
would merely sum up the advantages which I conceive
have accrued to us by this march.

Fruits of the Grand March.

Our former labors in North Georgia had demon-
strated the truth that no large army, carrying with it
the necessary stores and baggage, can overtake and
capture an inferior force of the enemy in his own
country; therefore no alternative was left me but the
one I adopted — namely, to divide my forces, and with
the one part act offensively against the enemy's re-
sources, while with the other I should act defensively
and invite the enemy to attack, risking the chances of
batde.

In this conclusion I have been singularly sustained
by the results. General Hood, who, as I have here-
tofore described, had moved to the westward, near
Tuscumbia, with a view to decoy me away from
Georgia, finding himself mistaken, was forced to
choose either to pursue me or to act offensively
against the other part, left in Tennessee. He accepted
the latter course, and General Thomas has wisely and
well fulfilled his part of the grand scheme in drawing
Hood well up into Tennessee until he could concen-
trate all his own troops, and then turn upon Hood, as
he has done, and destroy or fatally cripple his army.
That part of my army is so far removed from me that
I leave, with perfect confidence, it management and
history to General Thomas.

1 was thereby left with a well-appointed army to

^6 GENERAL SHERMAN.

sever the enemy's only remaining railroad communi-
cations eastward and westward for over one hundred
miles — -namely, the Georgia State railroad, which is
broken up from Falrburn Station to Madison and the
Oconee, and the Central railroad from Gordon clear
to Savannah, with numerous breaks on the latter road
from Gordon to Eatonton and from Millen to Augusta,
and the Savannah and Gulf railroad. We have also
consumed the corn and fodder In the region of country
thirty miles on either side of a line from Atlanta to
Savannah, as also the sweet potatoes, cattle, hogs,
sheep, and poultry, and have carried away more than
ten thousand horses and mules, as well as a countless
number of their slaves. I estimate the damage done
to the State of Georgia and its military resources at
one hundred millions of dollars, at least twenty mil-
lions of which has Inured to our advantage, and the
remainder is simple waste and destruction. This may
seem a harsh species of warfare, but it brings the sad
realities of war home to those who have been directly
or indirectly instrumental in involving us in its attend-
ant calamities.

The campaign iias also placed this branch of my
army in a position from which other great military re-
sults may be attempted, besides leaving in Tennessee
and North Alabama a force which is amply sufficient
to meet all the chances of war in that region of our
country.

Since the capture of Atlanta my staff is unchanged,
save that General Barry, chief of artillery, has been

MARCHING THROUGH GEORGIA. 447

absent, sick, since our leaving Kingston. Surgeon
Moore, United States army, is chief medical director,
in place of Surgeon Kittoe, relieved to resume his
proper duties as a medical inspector.

Major Hitchcock, A. A. G., has also been added to
my staff, and has been of great assistance in the field
and office.

Captain Dayton still remains as my adjutant-gen-
eral. All have, as formerly, fulfilled their parts to my
entire satisfaction.

A Splendid Army.

In the body of my army I feel a just pride. Gen-
erals Howard and Slocum are gentlemen of singular
capacity and intelligence, thorough soldiers and
patriots, working day and night, not for themselves,
but for their country and their men.

General Kilpatrick, who commanded the cavalry of
this army, has handled it with spirit and dash to my
entire satisfaction, and kept a superior force of the
enemy's cavalry from even approaching our infantry
columns or wagon-trains. His report is full and
graphic. All the division and brigade commanders
merit my personal and official thanks, and I shall spare
no efforts to secure them commissions equal to the
rank they have exercised so well. As to the rank
and file, they seem so full of confidence in themselves
that I doubt if they want a compliment from me ; but
I must do them the justice to say that, whether called
on to fight, to march, to wade streams, to make roads,
clear out obstructions, build bridges, make " corduroy,"

448 GENERAL SHERMAN.

or tear up railroads, they have done it with alacrity and
a degree of cheerfulness unsurpassed. A litde loose
in foraging, they " did some things they ought not to
have done," yet, on the whole, they have supplied the
wants of the army with as little violence as could be ex-
pected and as litde loss as I calculated. Some of these
foraging-parties had encounters with the enemy which
would in ordinary times rank as respectable battles.

The behavior of our troops in Savannah has been
so manly, so quiet, so perfect, that I take it as the best
evidence of discipline and true courage. Never was
a hostile city, filled with women and children, occupied
by a large army with less disorder, or more system,
order, and good government. The same general and
generous spirit of confidence and good feeling pervades
the army which it has ever afforded me especial pleas-
ure to report on former occasions.

I avail myself of this occasion to express my heart-
felt thanks to Admiral Dahlgren and the officers and
men of his fleet, as also to General Foster and his
command, for the hearty welcome given us on our
arrival at the coast, and for their ready and prompt
co-operation in all measures tending to the result
accomplished.

Your obedient servant,

W. T. Sherman, ]\faj or- General,

President Lincoln's Christmas Present.

When Savannah was evacuated General Sherman
sent this brief message to President Lincoln :

"I beg to present to you as a Christmas gift the

MAKCHING THKOUGH GEORGIA. 449

city of Savannah, with one hundred and fifty heavy
guns, plenty of anniiunition, and twenty-five thousand
bales of cotton."

To which the President responded:

"Many, many thanks for your Christmas gift — the
capture of Savannah. When you were about to leave
Atlanta for the Atlantic coast, I was anxious, if not fear-
ful ; but feeling that you were the better judge, and'
remembering that ' nothing risked, nothing gained,*
I did not interfere. Now, the undertaking being a
success, the honor is all yours, for I believe none of us
went farther then to acquiesce. And, taking the work
of General Thomas into account, as it should be taken,
it is indeed a great success. Not only does it afford the
obvious and immediate military advantages, but in
showing to the world that your army could be divided,
putting the stronger part to an important new service^
and yet leaving enough to vanquish the old opposing
forces of the whole — Hood's army — it brings those
who sat in darkness to see ereat lio-ht. Please make
my grateful acknowledgments to your whole army,
officers and men."

General Sherman is most famous as the hero of the
** march to the sea," but in military importance that
movement was of less consequence than his campaigns
just before and after. To use his own words : " Were
I to express my measure of the relative importance of
the march to the sea and of that from Savannah north-
ward, I should place the former at one and the latter
at ten or the maximum."

29

CHAPTER XXI.

Brilliant Campaign of the CarolinaSe

Leaving Savannah, General Sherman moved his
army northward, and put the finishing strokes upon
his magnificent achievementr. which were one contin-
uous series of successes from the time he started on
his great march toward Atlanta. Following is his
interesting account of his campaign through the
Carolinas :

Headquarters of the Military Division of the Mississippi, )
GoLDSBORO, N. C, April 4, 1865. /

General : I must now endeavor to group the events
of the past three months connected with the armies
under my command, in order that you may have as
clear an understanding of the late campaign as the
case admits of

I have heretofore explained how, in the progress
of our arms, I was enabled to leave in the West an
army under Major-General George H. Thomas of
sufificient strength to meet emergencies in that quar-
ter, while in person I conducted another army, com-
posed of the Fourteenth, Fifteenth, Seventeenth, and
Twentieth corps and Kilpatrick's division of cavalry,
to the Atlantic slope, aiming to approach the grand
theatre of war in Virginia by the time the season

450

CAMPAIGN OF THE CAEOLINAS.

451

would admit of military operations In that latitude.
The first lodgment on the coast was made at Savan-
nah, strongly fortified and armed, and valuable to us
as a good seaport, with Its navigable stream Inland.
Refitting- the Army.

Nearly a month was consumed there in refitting
the army and in making the proper disposition of
captured property and other local matters ; but by the
15th of January I was all ready to resume the march.
Preliminary to this, General Howard, commanding the
right wing, was ordered to em-
bark his command at Thunder-
bolt, transport It to Beaufort,
South Carolina, and thence by
the 15th of January make a
lodgment on the Charleston
railroad at or near Pocotaligo.
This was accomplished punc-
tually, at little cost, by the Sev-
enteenth corps, Major-General
Blair, and a depot for supplies
was established near the mouth of Pocotaligo Creek,
with easy water-communication back to Hilton Head.

On the 1 8th of January I transferred the forts and
city of Savannah to Major-General Foster, command-
ing the Department of the South, imparted to him my
plans of operation, and Instructed him how to follow
my movements inland by occupying in succession the
city of Charleston and such other points along the sea-
coast as would be of any military value to us. The

BRIG.-GEN. A. TERRY.

452 GENERAL SHERMAN.

combined naval and land forces under Admiral Porter
and General Terry had, on the 15th of January, cap-
tured Fort Fisher and the rebel forts at the mouth of
Cape Fear River, giving me an additional point of se-
curity on the seacoast. But I had already resolved in
my own mind, and had so advised General Grant, that
I would undertake at one stride to make Goldsboro,
and open communication with the sea by the New-
bern railroad, and had ordered Colonel W. W. Wright,
superintendent of military railroads, to proceed in
advance to Newbern, and to be prepared to extend
the railroad out from Newbern to Goldsboro by the
15 th of March.

** Forward, March ! "

On the 19th of January all preparations \vere
complete, and the orders of march w^ere given.
On the 25th a demonstration was made against the
Combahee ferry and railroad-bridge across the Sal-
kahatchie, merely to amuse the enemy, who had
evidently adopted that river as his defensive line
against our supposed objective, the city of Charleston.
I reconnoitred the line in person, and saw that the
heavy rains had swollen the river, so that water stood
in the swamps for a breadth of more than a mile at a
depth of from one to twenty feet

Not having the remotest intention of approaching
Charleston, a comparatively small force was able, by
seeming preparations to cross over, to keep in their
front a considerable force of the enemy disposed tc
contest our advance on Charleston. On the 27th I

MAP SHOWING THE ROUTE OF SHERMAN'S ARMY THROUGH SOUTH CAROUNA.

454 GENERAL GERMAN.

rode to the camp of General Hatch's division of
Foster's command, on the Tullifinney and Coosa-
hatchie rivers, and directed those places to be evacu-
ated, as no longer of any use to us. That division
was then moved to Pocotaligo to keep up the feints
already begun, until we should, with the right wing,
move higher up and cross the Salkahatchie about
River's or Broxton's Bridge.

The Seventeenth and Fifteenth corps drew out of
camp on the 31st of January, but the real march
began on the ist of February. All the roads north-
ward had for weeks been held by Wheeler's cavalry,
who had, by details of negro laborers, felled trees,
burned bridges, and made obstructions to impede our
march. But so well organized were our pioneer bat-
talions, and so strong and intelligent our men, that
obstructions seemed only to quicken their progress.
Felled trees were removed and bridges rebuilt by the
heads of columns before the rear could close up.

Driving- the Enemy.

On the 1 2th the Seventeenth corps found the enemy
intrenched in front of the Orangeburg bridge, but
swept him away by a dash, and followed him, forcing
him across the bridge, which was partially burned.
Behind the bridge was a battery in position, covered
by a cotton and earth rampart, with wings as far as
could be seen. General Blair held one division (Giles
A. Smith's) close up to the Edisto, and moved the
other two to a point about two miles below, where
\ie crossed Force's division by a pontoon-bridge, hold-

CfAMPAlGN OF THE CAKOLINAS. 455

ing Mowc/*s in support. As soon as Force emerged
from the swamp the enemy gave ground, and Giles
Smith's division gained the bridge, crossed over, and
occupied the enemy's parapet. He soon repaired
the bridge, and by four p. m. the whole corps was in
Orangeburg, and had begun the work of destruction
on the railroad. Blair was ordered to destroy this
railroad effectually up to Lewisville, and to push the
enemy across the Congaree and force him to burn the
bridges, which he did on the 14th; and without wast-
ing time or labor on Branchville or Charleston, which
I knew the enemy could no longer hold, I turned all
the columns straight on Columbia

Early on the morning of February i6th the head
of the column reached the bank of the Congaree op-
posite Columbia, but too late to save the fine bridge
which spanned the river at that point. It was burned
by the enemy. While waiting for the pontoons to
come to the front we could see people running about
the streets of Columbia, and occasionally small bodies
of cavalry, but no masses. A single gun of Captain
De Grass's battery was firing at their cavalry squads,
but I checked his firing, limiting him to a few shots at
the unfinished State-house walls and a few shells at
the railroad depot, to scatter the people who were
seen carrying away sacks of corn and meal that we
needed. There was no white flag or manifestation
of surrender. I directed General Howard not to
cross directly in front of Columbia, but to cross the
Saluda at the factory, three miles above, and after-

456 GENERAL SilERMAN.

ward Broad River, so as to approach Columbia from
the nordi. Within an hour of the arrival of Gen-
eral Howard's head of column at the river opposite
Columbia the head of column of the left wing also
appeared.

Capture of Columbia.

In anticipation of the occupation of the city, I had
made written orders to General Howard touching the
conduct of the troops. These were to destroy abso-
lutely all arsenals and public property not needed
for our own use, as well as all railroads, depots, and
machinery useful in war to an enemy, but to spare all
dwellings, colleges, schools, asylums, and harmless
private property. I was the first to cross the pontoon -
bridge, and in company with General Howard rode
into the city. The day was clear, but a perfect tem-
pest of wind was raging. The brigade of Colonel
Stone was already in the city, and was properly
posted. Citizens and soldiers were on the streets
and general good order prevailed.

General Wade Hampton, who commanded the Con-
federate rear-guard of cavalry, had, in anticipation of
our capture of Columbia, ordered that all cotton,
public and private, should be moved Into the streets
(and fired, to prevent our making use of It. Bales
were piled everywhere, the rope and bagging cut, and
tufts of coti:on were blown about In the wind, lodged
in the trers and against houses, so as to resemble a
snow-storm. Some of these piles of cotton were burn-
ing, especially one In the very heart of the city near

CHARLESTON HARBOR AND ITS APPROACHES, SHOWING FORTS SUMTER ANA»
WAGNER. JAMES ISLAND. Etc., Etc.

457

45S GENERAL SHEKMAN.

the court-house, but the fi.re was partially subdued by
the labor of our soldiers. During the day, the Fit-
teenth corps passed through Columbia and out on the
Camden road. The Seventeenth did not enter the
town at all, and the left wing and cavalry did not
come within ten miles of the town.

Before one single public building had been fired by
order, the smouldering fires set by Hampton's order
were rekindled by the wind and communicated to the
Ouiidings around. About dark they began to spread,
-nd got beyond the control of the brigade on duty
within the city. The whole of Wood's division was
brought in, but it was found impossible to check the
flames, which by midnight had become unmanageable,
and raged until about four a. m., when, the wind sub-
siding, they were got under control.

The Town Fired by Confederates.

I was up nearly all night, and saw Generals How-
ard, Logan, Wood, and others laboring to save houses
and to protect families thus suddenly deprived of
"helter and of bedding and wearing apparel. I dis-
claim on the part of my army any agency in this fire,
but, on the contrary, claim that we saved what of Co-
lumbia remains unconsumed. And, without hesitation,
I charge General Wade Hampton with having burned
his own city of Columbia, not with a malicious intent
or as the manifestation of a silly " Roman stoicism,"
out from folly and want of sense In filling It with lint,
cotton, and tinder. Our officers and men on duty
worked well to extinguish the flames; but others not

MAP SHOWING THE ENTRANCE TO CAPE FEAR RIVER AND APPROACHES
TO WILMINGTON. N. C.

459

460 GENERAL SHERMAN.

on duty, including the officers who had long been
imprisoned there, rescued by us, may have assisted
in spreading the fire after it had once begun, and may
have indulged in unconcealed joy to see the ruin of
the capital of South Carolina. During the i8th and
igth the arsenal, railroad depots, machine-shops,
foundries, and other buildings were properly de-
stroyed by detailed working-parties, and the railroad
track torn up and destroyed to Kingsville and the
Wateree bridge and up in the direction of Winnsboro.
Without unnecessary delay the columns were again
put in motion, directed on Fayetteville, North Carolina,
the right wing crossing the Pedee at Cheraw and the
left wing and cavalry at Sneedsboro. General Kil-
patrick was ordered to keep well on the left flank, and
the Fourteenth corps, moving by Love's Bridge, was
given the right to enter and occupy Fayetteville first
The weather continued unfavorable and the roads bad,
but the Fourteenth and Seventeenth corps reached
Fayetteville on the 1 1 th of March, skirmishing with
Wade Hampton's cavalry, that covered the rear of
Hardee's retreating army, which, as usual, had crossed
Cape Fear River, burning the bridge. During the
march from the Pedee, General Kilpatrick had kept
Ais cavalry well on the left and exposed flank.

Hampton's Sudden Attack.

During the night of the 9th March his three brigades
were divided to picket the roads. General Hampton,
detecting this, dashed in at daylight and gained pos-
session of the camp of Colonel Spencer's brigade and

OAMPAIGN OF THE CAROLINAS. 461

itx^ house In which General Kilpatrlck and Colonel
Spe-ricer had their quarters. The surprise was com-
plete, but General Kilpatrlck quickly succeeded in
rallying his men on foot in a swamp near by, and,
by a prompt attack, well followed up, regained his
artillery, horses, camp, and everything, save some
prisoners whom the enemy carried off, leaving their
dead on the grround.

The lith, 13th, and 14th were passed at Fayette-
ville, destroying absolutely the United States arsenal
and the vast amount of machinery which had formerly
belonged to the old Harper's Ferry United States
arsenal. Every building was knocked down and
burned, and every piece of machinery utterly broken
up and nained, by the First regiment Michigan En-
gineers, under the immediate supervision of Colonel
O. M. Pof^ chief engineer. Much valuable property
of great use to an enemy was here destroyed or cast
into the river.

Up to this period I had perfecdy succeeded In Inter-
posing my superior army between the scattered parts
of my enemy. But I was then aware that the frag-
ments that had left Columbia under Beauregard had
been reinforced by Cheatham's corps from the West
and the garrison of Augusta, and that ample time had'
been given to move them to my front and flank about
Raleigh. Hardee had also succeeded in getting across
Cape Fear River ahead of me, and could therefore
complete the junction with the other armies of John-
ston and Hoke in North Carolina.

462 GENERAL SHERMAN.

Johnston in Front.

And the whole, under the command of the skilful
and experienced Joe Johnston, made up an army su-
perior to me in cavalry, and formidable enough in
artillery and infantry to justify me in extreme caution
in making the last step necessary to complete the
march I had undertaken. Previous to reaching Fay-
etteville, I had despatched to Wilmington from Laurel
Hill Church two of our best scouts with intelligence of
our position and my general plans. Both of these
messengers reached Wilmington, and on the morning
of the 1 2th of March the army-tug Davidson, Captain
Ainsworth, reached Fayetteville from Wilmington,
bringing me full intelligence of events from the outer
world.

All the signs induced me to believe that the ene
my would make no further opposition to our prog-
ress, and would not attempt to strike us in flank
while in motion. I therefore directed Howard to
move his right wing by the new Goldsboro road, which
goes by way of Falling Creek Church. I also left
Slocum and joined Howard's column, with a view to
open communications with General Schofield, coming
up from Newbern, and Terry from Wilmington. By
subsequent reports I learned that General Slocum's
head of column had advanced from its camp of March
i8th, and first encountered Dibbrell's cavalry, but
soon found its progress impeded by infantry and ar-
tillery. The enemy attacked his head of column,
gaining a temporary advantage, and took three guns

CAMPAIGN OF THE CAROLINAS. 463

and caissons of General Carlin's division, driving the
two leading brigades back on the main body. As
soon as General Slocum realized that he had in his
front the whole Confederate army, he promptly de-
ployed the two divisions of the Fourteenth corps,
General Davis, and rapidly brought up on their lefr
the two divisions of the Twentieth corps, General
Williams. These he arranged on the defensive, and
hastily prepared a line of barricades. General Kil-
patrick also came up at the sound of artillery and
massed on the left. In this position the left wing re-
ceived six distinct assaults by the combined forces of
Hoke, Hardee, and Cheatham, under the immediate
command of General Johnston himself, without giving
an inch of ground, and doing good execution on the
enemy's ranks, especially with our artillery, the enemy
having little or none.

Johnston's Rapid Move.

Johnston had moved by night from Smithfield with
great rapidity and without unnecessary wheels. Intend-
ing to overwhelm my left flank before It could be
relieved by its co-operating columns. But he " reck-
oned without his host." I had expected just such a
movement all the way from Fayetteville, and was pre-
pared for it. By four p. m. of the 20th a complete
and strong line of battle confronted the enemy in his
intrenched position, and General Johnston, instead of
catching us in detail, was on tlie defensive, with Mill
Creek and a single bridge to his rear. Nevertheless,
we had no object to accomplish by a battle, unless at

4(34

tJENERAL SHERMAN.

an advantage, and therefore my general Instructions
were to press steadily with skirmishers alone, to use
artllleiy pretty strongly on the wooded space held by
the er.erny, and to feel pretty strongly the flanks of
his position, which were, as usual, covered by the end-
less swamps of this region of country.

Thus matters stood about Bentonville on the 21st
of March. On the same day General Schofield en-
tered Goldsboro with litde or no opposidon, and Gen^

eral Terry had got possession
of the Neuse River at Cox's
Bridge, ten miles above, with
a pontoon-bridge laid and a
brigade across ; so that the
three armies were in actual
connection, and the great ob-
ject of the campaign was
accomplished.

On the 2ist a steady rain
prevailed, during which Gen-
eral Mower's division of the Seventeenth corps, on
the extreme right, had worked well to the right around
the enemy's flank, and had nearly reached the bridge
across Mill Creek, the only line of retreat open to the
enemy. Of course there was extreme danger that
the enemy would turn on him all his reserves, and, It
might be, let go his parapets to overwhelm Mower.
Accordingly, I ordered at once a general attack by
our skirmish-line from left to right.

Quite a noisy batde ensued, during which General

6RIG.-GENERAL SCHOFIELD.

CAMPAIGN OF THE CAEOLINAS. AQb

Mower was enabled to regain his connection with his

own corps by moving to his left rear. Still, he had

developed a weakness in the enemy's position of which

advantage might have been

taken ; but that night the

enemy retreated on Smithfield,

leaving his pickets to fall into

our hands, with many dead

unburied, and wounded in his

field hospitals. At daybreak

of rhe 2 2d pursuit was made

two miles beyond Mill Creek,

, 1111 1 MAJOR-GENERAL E. O. OR*

but checked by my order.

General Johnston had utterly failed in his attempt.

and we remained in full possession of the field of

batde.

General Slocum reports the losses of the left wing
about Bentonville at 9 officers and 145 men killed, 51
officers and 816 men wounded, and 3 officers and 223
men missing, taken prisoners by the enemy; total,
1247. He buried on the field 167 rebel dead and
took 2f3^ prisoners.

General Howard reports the losses of the right
wing at 2 officers and 35 men killed, 12 officers and
289 men wounded, and i officer and 60 men missing;
total, 399. He also buried 100 rebel dead and took
1287 prisoners.

The cavalry of Kilpatrick was held in reserve, ajid
lost but few, if any, of which I have no report as yet
Our aggregate loss at Bentonville was 1646

30

466 GENERAL SHERMAN.

It was all-important that I should have an interview
with the general-in-chief ; and, presuming that he could
not at this time leave City Point, I left General Scho-
field in chief command, and proceeded with all expe-
dition by rail to Morehead City, and thence by steamer
to City Point, reaching General Grant's headquarters
on the evening of the 27th of March. I had the good
fortune to meet General Grant, the President, Gen-
erals Meade, Ord, and others of the Army of the
Potomac, and soon learned the general state of the
military world, from which I had been in a great meas-
ure cut off since January. Having completed all
necessary business, I re-embarked on the navy steamer
Bat, Captain Barnes, which Admiral Porter placed at
my command, and returned via Hatteras Inlet and
Newbern, reaching my own headquarters in Golds-
boro during the night of the 30th. During my ab-
sence full supplies of clothing and food had been
brought to camp, and all things were working
well.

A Crowuin^ Success.

I have thus rapidly sketched the progress of out
columns from Savannah to Goldsboro, but for more
minute details must refer to the reports of subordinate
commanders and of staff officers, which are not yet
ready, but will in due season be forwarded and filed
with this report. I cannot, even with any degree of
precision, recapitulate the vast amount of injury done
the enemy or the quantity of guns and materials of
war captured and destroyed. In general terms, we

CAMPAIGN OF THE CAKOLINAS. 467

have traversed the country from Savannah to Golds-
boro, with an average breadth of forty miles, consum-
ing all the forage, cattle, hogs, sheep, poultry, cured
meats, corn-meal, etc. The public enemy, instead of
drawing supplies from that region to feed his armies,
will be compelled to send provisions from other quar-
ters to feed the inhabitants.

Of course, the abandonment to us by the enem^
of the whole seacoast from Savannah to Newbern,
North Carolina, with its forts, dockyards, gunboats,
etc., was a necessary incident to our occupation and
destruction of the inland routes of travel and sup-
ply ; but the real object of this march was to place
this army in a position easy of supply, whence It could
take an appropriate part in the spring and summer
campaign of 1865. This was completely accomplished
on the 2 1st of March by the junction of the three
armies and occupation of Goldsboro.

In conclusion, I beg to express in the most em-
phatic manner my entire satisfaction with the tone
and temper of the whole army. Nothing seems to
dampen their energy, zeal, cr cheerfulness. It Is Im-
possible to conceive a march involving more labor
and exposure, yet I cannot recall an instance of bad
temper by the way or hearing an expression of doubt
as to our perfect success In the end. I believe that
this cheerfulness and harmony of action reflects upon
all concerned quite as much real honor and fame as
'* battles gained " or " cities won," and I therefore com-
meAid all — generals, staff, officers, and men — for these

i68 GENEKAL SHERMAN.

high qualities, in addition to the more soldierly ones
of obedience to orders and the alacrity they have
always manifested when danger summoned them
" to the front." I have the honor to be your obe-
dient servant,

W. T. Sherman, Major- General Commanding,

Major -General H. W. Halleck, Chief of Staff, Washington City, D. C.

CHAPTER XXII.

Surr'^nder of Johnston to Sherman. — Capture
of Fifty Thousand Men.

The closing act in General Sherman^s superb
career was his capture of the entire Confederate
army under Johnston. We give the account of it in
his own words :

On the 15th day of April, 1865, I was at Raleigh
in command of three armies, the Army of the Ohio,
the Army of the Cumberland, and the Army of the
Tennessee ; my enemy was General Joseph E. Johns-
ton of the Confederate Army, who commanded fifty
thousand men, retreating along the railroad from
Raleigh by Hillsboro, Greensboro, Salisbury, and
Charlotte. I commenced pursuit by crossing the
curve of that road in the direction of Ashboro and
Charlotte ; after the head of my column had crossed
the Cape Fear River at Aven's Ferry, I received a
communication from General Johnston, and answered
it, copies of which I most prompdy sent to the War
Department, with a letter addressed to the Secretary
of War, as follows :

*• Headquarters Military Division of the Mississippi, 1
IN THE Field, Raleigh, N. C, April 15, 1865. /

"General U. S. Grant and Secretary of War;
I send copies of a correspodence to you with General

470 GENEKAL SHERMAN.

Johnston, which I think will be followed by terms of
capitulation. I will grant the same terms General
Grant gave Lee, and be careful not to complicate
any points of civil policy. If any cavalry has started
toward me, caution them to be prepared to find our
work done. It is now raining in torrents, and I shall
await General Johnston's reply here, and will pre=
pare to meet him in person at Chapel Hill.

" I have Invited Governor Vance to return to Ral-
eigh with the civil officers of his State. I have met
ex-Governor Graham, Messrs. Badger, Moore, Hold-
en, and others, all of whom agree that the war is
over, and that the States of the South must resume
their allegiance, subject to the Constitution and laws
of Congress, and must submit to the national arms.
This great fact once admitted, the details are of easy
arrangement.

"W. T. Sherman, Majo7'- General!'

I met General Johnston In person at a house five
miles from Durham Station, under a flag of truce.
After a few preliminary remarks he said to me, since
Lee had surrendered his army at Appomattox Court-
house, of which he had just been advised, he looked
upon further opposition by him as the greatest possi-
ble of crimes ; that he wanted to know whether 1
could make him any general concessions, anything
by which he could maintain his hold and control of
his army and prevent its scattering, anything to sat-
isfy the great yearning of their people ; if so, h^

JOHNSTON'S SURRENDER. 471

thought he could arrange terms satisfactory to both
parties. He wanted to embrace the condition and
fate of all the armies of the Southern Confederacy to the
Rio Grande — to make one job of it, as he termed it.

I asked him what his powers were — whether he
could command and control the fate of all the armies
to the Rio Grande. He answered that he thought he
could obtain the power, but he did not possess it at
that moment ; he did not know where Mr. Davis was,
but he thought if I could give him the time he could
find Mr. Breckenridge, whose orders would be obeyed
everywhere, and he could pledge to me his personal
faith that whatever he undertook to do would be
done.

Can Jolmstou Fill the Contract?

I had had frequent correspondence with the late
President of the United States, with the Secretary of
War, with General Halleck, and with General Grant,
and the general impression left upon my mind was
that if a settlement could be made consistent with the
Constitution of the United States, the laws of Con-
gress, and the proclamation of the President, they
would not only be willing, but pleased, to terminate
the war by one single stroke of the pen.

I needed time to finish the railroad from the Neuse
bridge up to Raleigh, and thought I could put in four
or five days of good time in making repairs to my
road, even if I had to send propositions to Washing-
ton ; I therefore consented to delay twenty-four hours,
CO enable General Johnston to procure what would

472 GENEBAL SHEKMAN.

satisfy me as to his authority and ability as a military
man to do what he undertook to do ; I therefore con-
sented to meet him the next day, the 17th, at twelve,
noon, at the same place.

We did meet again: after a general interchange of
courtesies he remarked that he was then prepared to
satisfy me that he could fulfil the terms of our conver-
sation of the day before. He then asked me what 1
was willing to do ; I told him, in the first place, 1
could not deal with anybody except men recognized
by us as " belligerents," because no military man
could go beyond that fact. The attorney-general has
since so decided, and any man of common sense so
understood it before ; there was no difference upon
that point as to the men and officers composing the
Confederate armies. I told him that the President of
the United States by a published proclamation had
enabled every man in the Southern Confederate
army, of the rank of colonel and under, to procure
and obtain amnesty by simply taking the oath of
allegiance to the United States and agreeing to go to
his home and live in peace. The terms of General
Grant to General Lee extended the same principles
to the officers of the rank of brigadier-generai and
upward, including the highest officer in the Confeder-
ate army — viz. General Lee, the commander-in-chief
I was therefore willing to proceed with him upon the
same principles.

No Wliite Slaves.

Then a conversation arose as to what form of gov

JOHNSTON'S SURRENDER.

47a

ernment they were to have in the South ? Were the
States there to be dissevered, and were the people co
be denied representation in Congress ? Were the
people there to be, in the common language of the
people of the South, slaves to the people of the

GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE.

North? Of course I said, "No; we desire that you
shall regain your position as citizens of the United
States, free and equal to us in all respects, and with
representation upon the condition of submission to
the lawful authority of the United States as defined

474 GENEHAL SHfiRMAK

by the Constitution, the United States courts, and the
authorities of the United States supported by those
courts." He then remarked to me that General
Breckenridge, a major-general in the Confederate
army, was near by, and if I had no objection he
would like to have him present.

I called his attention to the fact that I had on the
day before explained to him that any negotiations
between us must be confined to belligerents. Pie
replied that he understood that perfectly. '' But,"
said he, " Breckenridge, whom you do not know, save
by public rumor, as Secretary of War, is, in fact, a
major-general ; I give you my word for that. Have
you any objection to his being present as a major-
general?" I replied, "I have no objection to any
militaiy officer you desire being present as a part of
your personal staff." I myself had my own officers
near me at call, and was willing to grant what I
claimed for myself.

Breckenrldee came a strano-er to me, whom I had
never spoken to in my life, and he joined in the con-
versation ; while that conversation was going on a
courier arrived and handed to General Johnston a
package of papers; he and Breckenridge sat down
and looked over them for some time, and put them
away in their pockets ; what they were I know not^
but one of them was a slip of paper, written, as Gen-
eral Johnston told me, by Mr. Reagan, Postmaster-
General of the Southern Confederacy ; they seemed
to talk about it sotto voce, and finally handed it to me ;

JoaNsfoN^s ^URRENDjww. 475

I gladded over It ; It was preceded by a preamble and
closed with a few general terms; I rejected It at once.

Important Conference.

We then discussed matters — talked about slavery,
talked about everything. There was a universal assent
that slavery was as dead as anything could be; that it
v/as one of the Issues of the war long since deter-
mined ; and even General Johnston laughed at the
folly of the Confederate Government In raising negro
soldiers whereby they gave us all the points of the
case. I told them that slavery had been treated by
us as a dead institution — first by one class of men
from the initiation of the war, and then from the date
of the Emancipation Proclamation of President Lin-
coln, and finally by the assent of all parties.

As to reconstruction, I told them I did not know
what the views of the Administration were. Mr.
Lincoln up to that time, In letters and by telegrams to
me, encouraged me by all the words which could be
used In general terms to believe not only In his will-
ingness, but In his desires, that I should make terms
with civil authorities, governors, and legislators, even
as far back as 1863. It then occurred to me that I
might write off some general propositions, meaning
little or meaning much according to the construction
of parties — what I would term *' glittering generali-
ties"— and send them to Washington, which I could
do in four days. That would enable the new Presi-
dent to give me a clue to his policy In the Important
juncture which was then upon us, for the war wai

476 GENERAL SHEHMAN.

over; the highest miHtary authorities of the Southern
Confederacy so confessed to me openly, unconceal-
edly, and repeatedly. I therefore drew up the memo-
randum (which has been published to the world) for
the purpose of referring it to the proper executive
authority of the United States, and enabling him to
define to me what I might promise, simply to cover
the pride of the Southern men, who thereby became
subordinate to the laws of the United States, civil and
military.

Grim Terms of War.
I made no concessions to General Johnston's army
or the troops under his direction and immediate con-
trol ; and if any concessions were made in those gen-
eral terms, they were made because I then believed,
and now believe, they would have delivered into the
hands of the United States the absolute control of
every Confederate officer and soldier, all their muster-
rolls, and all their arms. It would save us all the in-
cidental expense resulting from the military occupation
of that country by provost-marshals, provost-guards,
military governors, and all the machinery by which
nlone military power can reach the people of a civilized
country. It would have surrendered to us the armies
of Dick Taylor and Kirby Smith, both of them capable
of doing infinite mischief to us by exhrmsting the re-
sources of the whole country upon which we were to
depend for the future extinguishment of our debt,
forced upon us by their wrongful and rebellious con-
duct.

JOHxSrSTON'S SURRENDER. 477

I never designed to shelter a human being from any
liability incurred in consequence of past acts to the civil
tribunals of our country, and I do not believe a fair
and manly interpretation of my terms can so construe
them, for the words " United States courts," " United
States authorities," " limitations of executive power,"
occur in every paragraph. And if they seemingly
yield terms better than the public would desire to be
given to the Southern people, if studied closely and well
it will be found that there is an absolute submission on
their part to the Government of the United States,
either through its executive, legislative, or judicial
authorities. Every step in the programme of these
negotiations was reported punctually, clearly, and fully
by the most rapid means of communication that I had.

All the Fruits of Victory.

And yet I neglected not one single precaution
necessary to reap the full benefits of my position in
case the Government amended, altered, or absolutely
annulled those terms. As those matters were neces-
sarily mingled with the military history of the period.
I would like at this point to submit to the committee
my official report, which has been in the hands of the
proper officer, Brigadier-General Rawlings, chief of
.tafif of the army of the United States, since about the
12th instant. It was made by me at Manchester, Va.,
after I had returned from Savannah, whither I went to
open up the Savannah River and reap the fruits of my
negotiations with General Johnston, and to give Gen-
eral Wilson's force in the interior a safe and sure base

478 GENEKAL SHERMAN.

from which he could draw the necessary supply of
clodiing and food for his command. It was only after
I had fulfilled all this thai I learned, for the first time,
through the public press, that my conduct had been
animadverted upon, not only by the Secretary of War,
but by General Halleck and the press of the country
at large.

I did feel hurt and annoyed that Mr. Stanton coupled
with the terms of my memorandum, confided to him,
a copy of a telegram to General Grant which he had
never sent to me. He knew, on the contrary, that
when he was at Savannah I had negotiations with
civil parties there, for he was present in my room
when those parties were conferring with me, and I
wrote him a letter setting forth many points of it, in
which I said I aimed to make a split in Jeff Davis's
dominions by segregating Georgia. Those were civil
negotiadons, and, far from being discouraged from
making them, I was encouraged by Secretary Stanton
himself to make them.

Rig^hteous Indig-nation.

By coupling the note to General Grant with my
memorandum he gave the world fairly and clearly to
infer that I was in possession of it. Now, I was not
in possession of it, and I have reason to know that
Mr. Stanton knew I was not in possession of it. Next
met me General Halleck's telegram, indorsed by Mr.
Stanton, in which they publicly avowed an act of per-
fidy— namely, the violation of my truce, which I had a
right to make, and which, by the laws of war and by

JOHNSTON'S SUEKENDER. 47J*

the laws of Congress, is punishable by death and no
other punishment.

Next, they ordered an army to pursue my enemy,
who was known to be surrendering to me, in the pres-
ence of General Grant himself, their superior officer ;
and, finally, they sent orders to General Wilson and
to General Thomas — my subordinates, acting under
me on a plan of the most magnificent scale, admirably
executed — to defeat my orders and to thwart the in>
terests of the Government of the United States. I
did feel indignant ; I do feel indignant. As to my
honor, I can protect it. In my letter of the 15th of
April I used this language : " I have invited Governor
Vance to return to Raleigh, with the civil officers of
his State." I did so because President Lincoln had
himself encourao^ed me to a similar course with the
governor of Georgia when I was In Atlanta. And
here was the opportunity which the Secretary of War
should have taken to put me on my guard against
making terms with civil authorities, if such were th>^
settled policy of our Government. Had President
Lincoln lived, 1 know he would have sustained me.

After the War.

The foregoing narrative by General Sherman
throws a clear lieht on liIs action — an action which
was disapproved at Washington. He was anxious to
stop the flow of blood, and was willing to be magnani-
mous toward a fallen foe.

Then followed the grand review of the troops In
Washington, and on May 30, Sherman took leave of

480 GENERAL SHERMAN.

his army In general orders. In the reorganization of
the army Grant became general and Sherman lieu-
tenant-general. When Grant became President,
Sherman was elevated to the highest military office,
which he retained until his retirement in February,
1884.

Appropriately, we may close this part of our vol-
ume with Charles De Kay's striking poetical tribute
to the brilliant commander, whose achievements went
far toward saving the Union at the time of greatest
peril :

Rumble and grumble, ye drums,
Shrill be your throat, O pipes !
Writhe, blood-red flag, in your mourning Vand,
Serpent of harlequin stripes !
But, stars in the banner's blue !
Smile, for the war-chief true
Up from the myriad hearts of the land
Comes — to your haven comes.

Guns that sullenly boom,

Mourn for the master's hand
Dreadful, uplifting the baton of war
While your hurricane shook the land !
Marching, marching, battle and raid.
Gay and garrulous, unafraid,
Sherman drove with his brilliant star
A dragon of eld to its doom.

Pass, O shade without stain !

Sunsets that grimly smile
Shall paint how your signal flags deploy
Battalions, mile on mile —
Horsemen and footmen, rank on rank.
Sweeping against the foeman's flank,
Howling full of the strange mad joy
Of slaughter and fe»r to be slain \

BOOK III.

GENERAL SHERMAN'S DEATH AND
OBSEQUIES.

CHAPTER XXIII.

Fatal Illness.— The Giant Shorn of his Strength.
— Anxiety throughout the Nation.

General Sherman's last illness began on the loth
Df February. It was hoped that his iron constitution
would s^and firmly against the attack, and that the
hero of many well-fought battles would not have to
surrender yet to death. The strongest man is finally
weak ; the bravest soul must some time be van-
quished ; the great general's foe this time was more
formidable than ranks bristlinor with steel. The vet-
eran of hot campaigns had met an enemy too strong
to be defeated.

At 1.15 A.M. a messenger left General Sherman's
house in New York on the run to the nearest drug-
gist. He carried a message to Senator Sherman,
saying, " Papa is much worse." It was signed
" Sherman."

At 1.20 A. M. R. T. Sherman sent the following
despatch to Senator John Sherman, brother of the

31 481

482 GENERAL SHEEMAN.

general : " Papa Is very much worse. You had bet-

ter come.

At a quarter-past eleven Dr. Alexander, through the
eeneral's son, handed out the foUowino^ bulletin, show-
Ing the result of a consultation of physicians:

" The result of the consultation of Drs. Alexander
and Janeway shows that there has been no Improve-
ment In General Sherman's condition.

" Dr. Alexander."

All day the battle between death and General
Sherman was waged with varying fortune. The bed-
side of the aged sufferer was surrounded by the
members of his famil)' and loving friends, and all that
medical science could suggest to ward off the en-
croachments of the Insidious disease which had
attacked his face was done.

The chances were against him. It was his second
attack of erysipelas, and much more severe than the
first one. His many years — he celebrated his sev-
enty-first birthday on the previous Sunday — had
weakened his iron constitution, and It was certain
that he had litde reserve force with which to batde
against It. But his brother and his children, remem-
bering how he had come forth victorious from many
a forlorn hope before, refused to lose heart or to
admit that his case was hopeless, and at noon, as if in
answer to their faith, he began to rally from his sink-
ing spell.

Each succeeding hour brought encouraging news

FATAL ILLNESS. 483

from the sick chamber, and at six o'clock Dr. R. H.
Green, who had been at his bedside all the afternoon,
said that there was no immediate danorer of death.
But he held out small hopes of his recovery. Sena-
tor Sherman clung to the beHef that he would gel
well, but postponed his intended return to Wash-
ington.

Surrounded by Iiis Children.

All of General Sherman's family, with the exception
of his son, the Rev. T. E. Sherman, who was study-
ing in the Jesuit institution in the island of Jersey,
and who was notified by cable of his father's condi-
tion, watched by his bedside. His friend. Dr. and
Lieutenant-Colonel Charles T. Alexander of the army,
was in constant attendance upon him. Shortly after
midnight it was noticed that his condition had changed
for tlie worse and that he was steadily growing weaker
His face and neck were badly inflamed, and any mo-
tion seemed to be quite painful. But, a$ a general
thing, he did not suffer much. He lay in a state of
semi-coma, and could only be roused at long intervals
to partake of medicine or nouriF.hrrient. In his con-
scious moments he seemed to be aware of the dan-
ger of his situation, but he bore his pains and faced
the menacing death with the same simple courage
which had always marked his strong character. He
waited without trepidation for the dread visitor that
had often confronted him on the battle-field, and
whose coming now had no terrors.

He lay in the front room of his residence, on the

484 GENERAL SHERMAN.

second floor. The shades were drawn tighdy down,
and no noise was permitted to reach him. A notice
at the door warned callers not to ring the bell, and a
special attendant was placed there to answer the ques-
tions of inquirers, who came in great numbers, and.
to receive the shoals of telecrrams which came from
all parts of the country. One of these, from Presi-
dent Harrison, making anxious inquiry, was answered
by Mr. P. T. Sherman, but most of them were an-
swered only by the hourly bulletins which were sent
out by the doctors or by young Mr. Sherman.

Once in a while the general became slightly deliri-
ous, and it seemed as if the disease had attacked the
brain, which was the complication to be feared. But
He \,ould rally from these attacks and hope would re-
turn again.

The Worst Feared.

As the morning wore on the physicians lost cour-
age, intimating that he would not live another twenty-
four hours, and declared that there was no possible
hope.

" General Sherman is suffering from facial erysipe-
las," said Dr. Alexander, "coupled with slow fever.
It is a simple disease, but difficult to treat, which
makes it a dangerous one. It is bad enough for a
younger man, who has the strength and vigor to with-
stand its insidious attack, but the general has not the
constitution that he once had. I do not anticipate
any crisis in this case, for erysipelas does its work

FATAL ILLNKSS. 485

by slowly undermining the strength of the patient
until he has none left to do battle with it."

Amonor the callers at the house who were admitted

o

were General Thomas Ewing, General O. O. Howard,
and Lieutenant Treat of his staff

The reports were discouraging during the morning
hours, but about noon their tenor changed and the
doctors began to report an improvement. The fol-
lowing bulletins will tell the story of the day:

" 11.50 — No change for the better. General Sher-
man continues to grow weaker."

" 2 P. M. — General Sherman was worse this moi .x-
ing, and his condition was considered critical. During
the day his condition has improved considerably."

"6.15 P.M. — General Sherman's condition has not
changed in the least since last bulletin. Still improv-
ing, very slowly."

" 9 p. M. — General Sherman is resting easily. His

family are confident that he will live through the

night."

He Knew his Friend.

General Ewing, who left the house at eventide, said
that the physicians were feeling much more hopeful,
though there had been no decided improvement in
his condition. " General Sherman is fully as strong
now as he was at six o'clock this morning," he said,
" and when he is aroused from his lethargy seems to
be entirely intelligent and free from hallucination. He
has been in a state of semi-coma for a long time.

4^6 GENERAL SHERMAN.

" I have been sitting by his bedside for a full hour.
His face and neck are much swollen and somewhat
inflamed, so that he moves his head with difficulty and
pain. I asked the general if he recognized me. He
replied, ' Hello, Ewing ! is that you ?' He appeared
to have considerable difficulty in speaking on account
of the mucus in his throat and the stiffness of his
muscles. I do not apprehend his death to-night."

Thousands of his old friends all over the country
were praying for his recovery, but there appeared to
be very little hope that the hero who saved Shiloh,
and the genius which performed the impossible and
marched two thousand miles to the sea against the
prognostications of military men the world over, would
do more than linger for a few hours or days, at the
most, before he laid down his colors to the one enemy
who is unconquerable.

President Harrison having telegraphed to New
York for information concerning the condition of Gen-
eral Sherman, received a telegram from Mr. P. T.
Sherman, saying that his father's condition was cnt-
ical, but that there was a slight improvement. Gen-
eral Schofield also received a telegram from Mr.
Sherman saying, " My father's condition is still critical,
but the doctors are hopeful."

Sympathy from the Grand Army.

The State Department, Grand Army of the Repub-
lic, in annual session in Boston, sent the following
despatch to the daughter o( General Sherman : " The
Massachusetts Department of the Grand Army of the

FATAL ILLNESS. 487

Republic, In convention assembled, watches with so-
licitude the condition of the last of the three crreat
leaders of the Union army, and that he may speedily
be restored to health is the earnest desire of his com^
rades."

The illness of General Sherman was the sole topic
in New York and throughout the country. The
earlier reports from his bedside suggested the possi-
bility of his recovery from the attack, but later on
February 12th bulletins were put up here and there
which indicated that his family had really given up
bope.

A Touching- Scene.

In front of all the bulletin-boards in the city throngs
y^ere assembled during the entire day, but perhap?
the most suggestive and touching exhibition of thf-
interest in the great general was shown in front of the
bulletin which one of the newspapers put up early in
the afternoon. That was a bulletin from the son of
Sherman, in which it was stated that the family had
given up all hope of the general's recovery.

Not many moments after it was put up there came
in the throng two persons who stopped and read the
bulletin. One of them was a man who leaned heavily
upon his cane, whose white hair was shown beneath
his tall beaver hat, and whose complexion, swarthy
and yet clear and indicating abundant health, was
that seemingly of a native of the tropics. This was
Hannibal Hamlin, and he was leaning upon the arm
of his son, General Hamlin. He was unrecoo["nized

488 GENEKAL SHERMAN.

by the crowd. He stood for a moment, read the bul-
letin, and then said : " I am afraid my old friend. Gen-
eral Sherman, has reached the number of his days."

Ex- Vice President Hamlin seemed to be deeply
affected. His relations with General Sherman had
been most cordial, and in the early part of the war
the great general had no stronger friend in the Ad-
ministration than Mr. Hamlin showed himself to be.
Although he was ten years older than Sherman, yet
he displayed a vigor which the general had not shown
in the last year or two.

The lights and the flitting shadows in the death-
chamber of the old warrior, who was slowly passing
away, were carefully watched during the entire night
by a score of newspaper-men, and every bulletin
issued by Drs. Alexander and Janeway was quickly
wired all over the continent.

Death Expected.

Two policemen were on duty outside, and every-
thing was kept as quiet as possible in the neighborhood.
The electric bell was removed from the door, so that
its jingling would not disturb the rest of the sick man,
and instructions were given not to admit any one
except relatives and personal friends.

The next bulletin said that death was only a ques-
tion of a few hours. Simultaneously with this came a
despatch from P. Tecumseh Sherman, the general's
son, and it was addressed to President Harrison, in-
forming him that death was momentarily expected.
From then on the house remained in comparative

FATAL ILLNESS. 489

darkness. The solitary policeman silently paced in
front of the residence, occasionally answering the
queries of passers-by with the stereotyped answer,
" Sinking rapidly." When the early morning wagons
came rattling down the street a wave of the hand from
the officer on duty caused them to slacken their pace,
and they crept by in silence, avoiding that noise of
wheels on the pavements so disagreeable to sick
persons.

The scenes about General Sherman's residence
this morning strongly suggested those of six years
before, when the death of General Grant was momen-
tarily expected. The newspapers of New York and
Brooklyn were represented, some having two or three
reporters present. On the street corners were groups
of men waiting apparently to get the latest informa-
tion from the sick-room. Conversation was carried
on in whispers, as if fearful of disturbing the dying
warrior, though half a block removed from his bedside.
Inside the storm-doors of the front entrance a young
man scrutinized each card handed in, and none but
the most intimate family friends were admitted. All
others merely left their cards and withdrew.

CHAPTER XXIV.

Battling with the Foe.— A Gallant Fight for

Life,

All through the day, Thursday, February 12th,
General Sherman was wresthno- with an invincible
foe. What a battle it was which was wao-ed in the
home of the grim old soldier ! Death never tackled
a tougher adversary. It caught him by the throat
and tried to stranMe him ; it burned in his veins with
consuming fire ; it stole stealthily into the seat of his
intellect. But he met it at every point and wrestled
Vi^ith it mightily. He was like a tough and sturdy
oak, swayed but unbroken by the storm.

It was not that the general feared death. It had
no terrors to him, with his beloved wife awaiting him
on the other side. But he wanted to see Tom before
he went. He was determined to shake hands with
his first-born, his beloved, who had grown apart from
him in his religion, but for whom his heart still beat
loyally.

He would not die till Tom came, he had said
before his case got desperate, and he set all the
powers of his indomitable will to the task of living
until the Rev. Father Sherman came across the sea
and clasped him in his arms once more. And this
resolution never left him, conscious or delirious.

490

BATTLING WITH THE FOR 491

It was that which made him last beyond the ex-
pectation of his physicians and turned his case into
a marvel.

And "Tom" left Queenstown the day before in a
desperate race with death. Could he possibly win ?
At times it seemed as if he might. It was Sherman
that saved the lost battle of Shiloh. It was Sherman
that performed the "impossible" march to the sea.
A man of miracles, would his unconquerable will
hold death itself back when hope itself seemed
madness ?

It was like Shiloh.

The story of the day — what pen will ever tell it?
What a drama it was in the home of the dying soldier !
Hope and despair, hope and despair, chased each other
in rapid succession across the stage, and each hour
had its special expectation. Like fast-fluctuating tides
the flickering life changed all the way from a seeming
certainty of death within the hour to the semblance
of sure recovery. The doctors had disagreed a score
of times, and the partial hopes of friends often built
high the ramparts of expectation, but the outcome
of it all was the edict of the men of science that death
was a certainty and only a matter of time.

The fright of the early morning, when all nature
Was at ebb tide and General Sherman's life-force with
it, was succeeded after daybreak by a period of hope.
The danger of immediate death grew less patent, and
the doctor said that at the worst he would live for
several hours. The fever was not so hio^h nor the

492 GENEHAL SHERMAN.

coma so complete. The brain was still unattacked by
inflammation. Could it be possible to avert the catas-
trophe, after all ?

New Danger.

After a time the doctors were able to alter the diet
to beef tea, considerable of which was administered
with success, and the stimulating and strengthening
effects of which were noticeably felt.

But now a new danger was made manifest. Mucus
collected upon the lungs, which General Sherman did
not have the power to relieve himself of, and there
was danger of his chokino- to death. At times he
started up and tried to rise, but his limbs refused their
office. The physicians sought in every way to relieve
him, but it seemed in vain, and matters were at a
desperate stage.

Without the house a guard was constantly in
attendance telling each inquirer that hope had almost
fled. Sturdy workingmen with their tin buckets
paused to ask after the general, and ladies and gen-
tlemen in fine carriages rolled up to the curb and sent
in their cards or went in themselves to ask personally
how went the tide of battle.

Eleven o'clock, and the tide at its lowest ebb.
General Sherman was dying, the doctors said. All
hope was gone. He had been unconscious some
time. His lungs were full. His face was purple.
His breath came in short, quick g^^sps. Mucus
rattled in his throat. The dew of death gath \red
on his wrinkled forehead as fast as it coulc^ be

BATTLING WITH THE FOE. 493

wiped away. Finis seemed written on the seamed
face. Only the will remained unconquered. Tom
had not come !

Pathetic Scene.

The weeping family were gathered about the bed-
side. The gentle Rachel had her arms about her
father. The Senator stood leaning on the head-
board looking into the face of his elder brother.
The private secretary, who had been hastily sum-
moned from his vacation, and the grizzled friend,
General Tom Ewing, were weeping a little apart.
The doctors bent over the knotted form, lighting as
stubbornly as the general himself.

But Tom had not come ! The old soldier had not
yet surrendered. Again he rallied his forces mightily,
and the fortunes of war were again in his favor.

A sudden fit of coughing freed his lungs of a
large quantity of mucus. He was given a stimulant,
and the effect was astonishing. The doctors, who
had sent out bulletins to the effect that he could
not live another hour, were now putting forth prom-
ising bulletins. A despatch was sent to President
Harrison by Senator Sherman saying : " The improve-
ment of General Sherman at one o'clock to-day
justifies a faint hope that he will recover."

When the doctor left the house he said that noth-
ing but the marvellous vitality of General Sherman
kept him alive. All through the afternoon hope
lived again, but it was at one o'clock, only two hours
after he had seemed to be fairly within the gates of

494 GENERAL SHERMAN.

death, that the mast marvellous exhibition of General
Sherman's will-power was manifested. For some
time he had been half sitting up, and striving earn-
estly to rid himself of the incubus on his lungs. He
was conscious, but frequently wandered off into de-
lirum. Now he made a sturdy effort to rise, and,
assisted by the doctors, succeeded in walking across
the room and sat down in a chair. The exercise
seemed to help him, and when he reached his bed
again he seemed clearer and more vigorous than he
bad been for twenty-four hours.

Eiicoiirag^iiig' News.

News of this wonderful exhibition was eiven to the
newspaper-men by General Horatio C. King, who was
greatly elated by it. It was promptly confirmed by
Secretary Barrett and General Ewing, who thought
it meant recovery. The doctors said no to this, and
hinted at fears of pneumonia.

There was a fresh alarm at nightfall, coupled with
nost alarming bulletins, and carriages rattled up
from every direction bringing persons who had been
hasdly summoned. But the prophets of disaster
again reckoned without their host, and at ten o'clock
the general was again pronounced out of immdiate
daneer.

He was resting quite easily, though breathing with
difficulty. He was quite conscious and knew those
present. He had gotten rid of much of the trouble-
some mucus. At times he had a bandage over his
eyes to shade them from the light. He still appeared

SENATOR JOHN SHERMAN.

495

496 GENERAL SHERMAN.

to have a good deal of strength and vitality. If he
could hold out forty-eight hours longer, the doctors
held out hopes of his ultimate recovery. His will
was resolute.

Senator John Sherman, who spent the previous
night at the house of Mrs. Hoyt, his niece, decided
to remain at the Sherman residence.

At eleven o'clock the servants closed the storm-
doors and drew down the blinds. Policeman Brown
was called to the basement door by Private Secretary
Barrett, and requested to hold until morning all tele-
grams and messages which arrived after midnight,
and give the family rest.

On his Feet for a Moment.

At eleven o'clock in the evening the general again
demonstrated his extraordinary will-power, according
to Lieutenant Fitch, by arising from his bed and
walking halfway across the room. He was unable
to speak, but appeared to recognize those who were
in the room.

When he reached the middle of the floor he
stopped and tottered. He was at once supported
back to bed, and when he lay down appeared to be
very much exhausted.

Early, at twenty-five minutes after five in the
morning, the general's son, P. T. Sherman, sent this
despatch to the President:

" My father is growing steadily worse. It appears
to be only a question of hours. I have given up
all hope."

BATTLING WITH THE FOE. 497

Senator Sherman at one o'clock in the afternoon
sent this telegram to President Harrison :

" The improvement of General Sherman at one
o'clock to-day justifies a faint hope of his recovery."

The medical bulletin at 8.30 p. m. said: "General
Sherman's condition is very critical. He is gradually
growing weaker."

Profound sympathy was awakened for the dying
hero, and from all parts of the country came messages
showing how deeply the nation was moved.

Prayer in Washing- ton.

In the course of the opening prayer on February
1 2th the chaplain of the United States Senate, refer-
ring to General Sherman's illness, said :

"Look in mercy upon Thy servant around whose
sick bed so many hearts lovingly gather, and in this
time of anxiety give support and grace. Oh, that the
peace of God which passeth all understanding may
keep his heart and mind as he casts himself upon the
mercy of God !

" If it so please Thee, spare this life, so long pre
served, sanctify this affliction, and grant that, as we
move among the dying and the dead, we may so live
that when this mortal life shall end we may enter
upon the Hfe that never ends."

Thursday night was a grateful relief to the worn-
out family, for the general slept peacefully, and those
who had been up all the night before were able to
retire and eet much-needed rest. He was awakened
-^very hour and given nourishment, which seemed to

498 GENERAL SHERMAN.

Strengthen him considerably, and about half-past six
in the morning he again rose from his bed and sat for
a few moments on a chair while a nurse made his bed.
At eleven o'clock he again got out of bed, and his
attendants had considerable trouble in keeping him
in bed, especially as he was suffering somewhat from
his long-time enemy — asthma — and was anxious to
assume an upright position.

The Father's Heart.

At no time during the day was he delirious, and
though his mind was not at all active, it was quite
clear and he understood all that was said to him. H^
seemed to have but one consuming wish, and that was
to see Tom. Several times he asked for him and for
** Cump," the younger son. There were some things
he wished to talk about, but weakness would not
permit it.

The house in West Seventy-first street looked
peaceful enough at sunrise. All signs of the hurry
and disorder which prevailed the day before were
absent. At seven o'clock a smiling housemaid came
to the door and announced that the general had
passed a quiet and restful night. He had taken
considerable nourishment and had slept well, and
was at that time asleep. The doctors were very
much encouraged.

When the tin-pail brigade came and asked its
questions, the solitary officer was able to give encour-
aging news, and many a ** Thank God !" was uttered
as the questioners turned away.

BATTLING WITH THE FOE. 499

General Sherman's illness attracted a great deal of
ihterest, and wherever bulletins were posted hun-
dreds of people stopped to learn the latest tidings.
So great was the interest throughout the country that
the Western Union Telegraph Company found it
necessary to send bulletins of his condition to eigh-
teen thousand offices. One did not realize what a
popular hero " Uncle Billy " was until his peril showed
how universal was the feeling about him.

The first official news of Friday was brought out at
eight o'clock by the general's private secretary, whose
face wore a hopeful look. He was inclined not to
promise too much, but he showed that the hopes
entertained were shared in even by the conservative
doctors, who had no intention of putting forth any
rainbow statements.

No Loss meant a Gain.

At nine o'clock the following bulletin, the first o\
the day, was issued :

" 9 A. M. — After consultation this morning the phy-
sicians find that General Sherman has lost nothinof
during the night."

This was as far as the doctors would go officially,
but they admitted privately that no loss meant a gain.
The erysipelas had nearly all disappeared, and the
great peril now was from pneumonia, which had not
developed, but still threatened. If they could keep
the patient from going backward until one or two
o'clock this morning, they said, there would be sub-
stantial basis for hope. There was slight oedema in

500 GENEKAL SHERMAN.

one of the lungs, but the other was entirely free. He
was still somewhat troubled by the accumulation of
mucus in one lung, but it was not to the alarming ex-
tent as on the day before.

At eleven o'clock Senator Sherman sent the fol-
lowing telegram, which was given to the press in lieu
of a bulletin :

*' To THE Hon. Redfield Proctor, Secretary of War,
Washhigton, D. C. :

" Telegram received. General Sherman passed a
good night. Asthma, his old disease, his chief trouble.
Heart and lungs performing their functions. We are
much encouraged and hope for recovery. He has
every care which love, sympathy, and human skill can
render, for which we all are profoundly grateful."

At twelve m. General Thomas Ewing appeared, and
said that for the last fourteen hours the patient's con-
dition had been easy and that he had been resting

quietly.

The Crisis Passed.

" We all think," said General Ewing, ** that the su-
preme crisis has been passed." The following bulletin
was given out later :

" 1. 20 p. M. — After a consultation the physicians say
there has been no chanQ^e in General Sherman's con-
dition since this morning."

The afternoon was void of news. The doctors did
not put out a bulletin for several hours, and no news
was looked upon as equivalent to good news. The
early hours of morning were the ones looked fpr

BATTLING WITH THE FOE. 501

with apprehension. It is then, when all nature seems
to be at an ebb, that danger is to be feared. If those
hours could be reached and passed in safety and
pneumonia kept at bay, the doctors said they could
then begin to talk of hope.

The chief danger from erysipelas they declared to
be past. The swelling was going down and the action
of the muscles was growing more normal. General
Sherman was out of pain, and if his strength could be
kept up there was a good prospect of recovery.

Kind Inquirers.

There were many callers at the house during the
afternoon, but no one save the members of the family
were permitted to see the sufferer. Among the tele-
grams of sympathy or inquiry received were ones
from Governor Hill, ex-President Cleveland, ind
Governor Fitzhugh Lee of Virginia.

Evening brought an increase of fever, and with it
an increase of anxiety. It was felt that the steady
drain on the resources of the aged man was slowly
undermining his vitality, and while no alarming
symptoms were developed, all felt that he was slowly
growing weaker. The elation which had marked the
hours of sunshine disappeared, and the family shut
themselves away from the newspaper-men and were
chary of information, saying that they cared only to
speak in case of a marked change for better or for
worse.

The doctors were non-committal and evasive.
They could give no good news ; they would not

502 GENEEAL SHERMAN.

advance any further prognostications. The doughty
old sufferer had behed their prophecies too many
times. At nine o'clock a servant-girl was sent in a
hurry to the drug-store. The general had a bad
turn, and it looked as if he was sinking.

An Alarming- Bulletin.

The doctors were at the bedside. The consulta-
tion was the longest which had been held, and the
countenances of the physicians showed that the
situation was extremely critical. At ten o'clock they
issued a bulletin which was truly ominous. It was
as follows :

" lo p. M. — After consultation the doctors say there
is no chanoe for the better."

A member of the household spoke frankly. " The
general is undoubtedly growing weaker," he said,
'' and this gives the family food for anxiety, for even
the most stubborn vitality must yield in time. Yet
there is no marked change in his condition. He
rests easily and is not troubled by mucus. It is
his extreme and growing weakness that causes the
chief anxiety."

CHAPTER XXV.

The Struggle Ended.— The Great Warrior's
Last Battle.

General Sherman died at ten minutes of two
o'clock on Saturday, February 14th, aged seventy-one
years and five days.

His end was peaceful — it could not have been more
so. He had been totally unconscious all the morning,
and had ceased to struggle long before the coming of
the end. The immediate cause of death was said to
be the fillinof of his luno^s with mucus, which he had
not strength to throw off He had fought so long as
a particle of strength remained, and even at the close
his iron will was not vanquished. He was not ready
to go until his son '* Tom " had come home to him.
But death beckoned and he had to go.

All the morning he lay dying, his family grouped
about his bed. His struggles, which had been painful
when he returned to that semi-consciousness which
showed the proud, unconquered spirit that still lived,
within him, were pitifully weak now. With all hopes
gone the family prayed only for a speedy end. For
hours they stood grouped about the bed, watching
and waiting for the end. Several times it seemed as
if it had come, but once more the spirit struggled back
and death was beaten off again.

503

604 GENERAL SHERMAK.

But at ten minutes of two there came a chano^e.
The color and the look which are noticeable only
when death comes suddenly spread over the drawn
face, disfigured with iodine, and the nurse, who had
been bending over him listening to the last faint
flutterings of his heart, quickly straightened up and
said, " He is dead."

Remarkable Coincidence.

Thus, thirty hours after the last admiral of the
United States, Admiral Porter, the last general, his
friend for many years^ passed away.

The last general of our army ; the last of the great
heroic figures who filled the eye of the public in the
bloody era that is past ; the last of the idols whom
the tattered remnant of the armies of the sixties
loved to follow and to worship, William Tecumseh
Sherman, was gone, and with him one of the strongest
links that still connected the people of America with
an epoch which all would willingly forget save for
the mighty debt of gratitude which the present
generation owes to the heroes of that past and
passing one.

Not the least of the batdes fought by Sherman
was the one with disease and death. It was a batde
to be proud of. It was an exhibition of i\merican
pluck and grit and unconquerable determination in
which the least of Americans must feel a reflected
pride. Brief, compared to the long-enduring struggle
of the hero Grant, it was yet long enough to show
the metal of the man, who had but one reason for

THE LAST BATTLE. 605

caring to remain on earth — a wish to clasp his absent
son in loving arms.

Oh, what a rare and sweet example of parental
love ! Who would have looked for it in the grim
old soldier who had hid this love behind a crusty
exterior for ten long years? About the last word
which his lips uttered was his cry for "Tom" on
Friday. But he could not hold out till the coming
of that son. The forces against him of disease and
age were too mighty. But he held off the end with
wonderful power and vigor, and died as he had lived^
with an unvanquished spirit.

The L.ast Ebb of Life.

The beginning of the end was about six o'clock the
evening before. The tide of life, which had risen and
fallen so many times, and which during the day had
passed the flood-mark of hope, began its final ebbing,
which, to the eyes of the professional watchers, would
never be stayed again. It was a question now of
hours only. How long could the sturdy frame with
stand the gnawing teeth of his disease ? Time onl)
could give the answer.

The family, who had begun to smile and talk cheer
ily of recovery, now grew haggard again. Hope van-
ished. They read the story in the eyes of the silent
doctors. They knew that the last rally had been held
and that the standard of life must be lowered. Well,
let it come ! It was better than this agony of waiting.
None but the family and the professional attendants
were admitted to the sick-room. The forehead and

506 GENEHAL SHERMAN.

Other parts of the face affected by erysipelas had
been anointed with iodine.

The general was speechless now, and utterly un-
conscious. All the enero^ies of his beinor were con-
es o

centrated on the one desperate task of breathing,
and all efforts to assist this operation seemed to have
no effect. " No better" was the repeated report from
the chamber of sickness ; and no better meant the
constant sapping of the depleted store of strength.

Fast Sinking-.

At four o'clock in the mornino- it seemed as if he
were sinking to the end, and again the family were
sumn^oned. The trained nurse who had zealously
attended him, and who for more than twenty-four
hours had refused to take sleep or rest, did all that
a nurs< could do to minister to his wants. Two hours
before this the doctors said " Not yet," and some of
the family had left the house, but they were hastily
called back, and all came expecting that he would
scarce survive the rising of the sun.

It was Dr. Alexander who first noticed a change for
the worse. It was slight, to be sure, but the trained
eye of the friend and physician saw an ominous signif-
icance in it.

Then this bulletin came from the general's house :
"The physicians after consultation declare that the
general's condition is now hopeless. He is dying, and
the end is near." There was no mistake about it this
time, as before.

Dr. Alexander, who brought this bulletin to the

THE LAST BATTLE. 507

telegraph-office, added significantly to the reporters
assembled, "There will be no more bulletins."

The erysipelas had again set in, and bronchitis had
also attacked the sick man. At half-past nine another
report came from the house through a friend of the
general. He said that the dying man was in no phys-
ical pain. It was somewhat difficult for him to
breathe, but otherwise he was not suffering.

From ten o'clock on General Sherman continued to
fail. At twenty minutes past eleven it was stated that
his death was but a question of minutes. There were
many callers during the morning. Only immediate
friends were admitted. The others merely left their
cards. At twenty-five minutes past eight o'clock
Senator Sherman telegraphed to his family at Wash-
ington that the general was still alive, but only partially
conscious.

Death only a Question of Minutes.

He was apparently without pain, but his breathing
was labored and his strenorth diminishino^. At ten
minutes past twelve p. m. Thomas Ewing, Jr., said that
no further bulletins of General Sherman's condition
would be issued. Death was only a question of
minutes, he said.

At a quarter to twelve a carriage and a pair drove
up to the door with a caller, who was Mrs. U. S.
Grant. She did not leave her carriage, but upon be-
ing told that there was not the slighest hope for the
general, was deeply affected and immediately drove
away. There was nothing to do now but wait for the

508 GENEHAL SHEBMAN.

end, and the family waited with beating hearts. In
the general's office in the basement were a number
of military gentlemen, including Generals Howard,
Slocum, Stewart L. Woodford, and the commander
of Grant Post of Brooklyn.

About the bedside were grouped the general's two
unmarried daughters, Misses Lizzie and Rachel Sher-
man, his son Philemon T., Lieutenant and Mrs. Fitch,
Lieutenant and Mrs. Thackara, Senator John Sher-
man, Mrs. Colgate Hoyt, Dr. Alexander, and General
Thomas Ewing. The nurse sat at the bedside watch-
ing the pinched lip of the dying man.

In the windows in front the shades were up and the
curtains slightly parted. The policeman paced in
front and kept the noises at a distance, save the loud
detonation of the blasters who were at work in a lot
across the way. A hush seemed to fall upon the
street.

The End had Come.

Suddenly the watchers on the opposite sidewalk
saw the curtains pulled together and the shades drawn
down. A moment later General Ewing appeared
bareheaded at the door and waved his hand. " It is
all over," he said.

In another moment the electric spark was flashing
over the land the news. Sherman was dead ! His
spirit had joined the great majority with his many old
comrades, and had met the gentle spirit of his wife at
last. He had marched from Adanta to the sea. He
had crossed the dark, dark river. Let the fife shriek

THE LAST BATTLE. 609

and the drum sound the deathless song that was writ-
ten for him, ana will never die so long a^ martial
music lives .

"Bring the good old bugle, boys, we'll have another song —
Sing it with a spirit that will start the world along —
Sing it as we used to sing it, fifty thousand strong.
While we tvere marching through Georgia.

"' Huri-ah ! hurrah ! we bring the jubilee !

Hurrah ! hurrah ! the flag that makes you free ! *
So we sang the chorus from Atlanta to the sea.
While we were marching through Georgia."

Those who were present in the room said that the
end was so quiet as to be almost imperceptible. It
was not until the nurse looked up and spoke the
simple words, " He is dead," that his daughters knew
that they were fatherless.

*' 'Halt!' breathed a muffled voice;

'Ensheath thy sword, lay down thine arms.
No more the battle's bugles or alarms
Shall rouse thy lion's heart. Rejoice!'
Yet, spite Death's mandate low,
Despite a nation's woe,
Sherman marched on —
Marched on triumphantly,
As when he led his armies to the sea —
Marched on !

•*0 Death! thou couldst not stay
A hero, dauntless set upon his way
To a new planet, toward eternal peace ;
Thou couldst not touch him, save with pain surcease :

For while thou spakest, even,
Sherman marched on — to heaven.
Where, then, thy sting, O Death? since he
J}a§ beard God's xoll-oall Where thy victorjr,

510 GENERAL SHERMAN.

O grave? since he has made reply.

Can Sherman die?
Nay; glory -girded, one more battle won.

He has marched on.

** Choke back your sobs, O men !
He has outstripped the sun — what then?
The Spring, that cometh soon, will let
Her gently falling tear-drops wet
His new-made grave.

"Nature will weep, but men — men do not weep the brave.
Lay his sheathed sword upon his breast;
After life's burning warfare peace is best.
Let dust to dust return; nothing can shroud
The soul of Sherman. Be not overhowed
With grief; rather let joy exult;
For even Death's grim "Halt!"

His purpose could not stay;

He saw the coming day,
And 'neath the sunrise marched, as toward the sea,

Marched — marched — to immortality.'*

Messages of Sympathy.

The following telegrams were received by the
family of General Sherman :

To Hon. John Sherman : Convey to your brother's
bereaved family our tenderest sympathy. A very
great man has gone. James G. Blaine.

To P. T. Sherman: In this hour of affliction you
have my deepest sympathy. The memory of General
Sherman will be for ever cherished by the American
people as one of their most valued possessions.

B. F. Tracy.

Governor Pattison of Pennsylvania sent the follow-

THE LAST BATTLE. 51^

ing message to P. T. Sherman : '' I desire to express
the sincere sympathy of the people of Pennsylvania
for the family of General Sherman, of whose death I
have just been advised. His patriotic, faithful, and
invaluable services to his country will ever be grate-
fully remembered."

Miss Sherman: Deep and heartfelt sympathy fo«
the irreparable loss both to you and to America.

H. M. Stanley.

Gv;ineral Joseph E. Johnston, Sherman's great foe,
sent the following:

To the Misses Sherman : Intelligence of Genera*
Sherman's death grieves me much. I sympathize
deeply with you in your great bereavement.

To Miss Rachel Sherman: The nation mourn?
and sympathizes with you in all your great sorrow.
Your illustrious father's death is to Mrs. Morton, oui
children, and myself the loss of a personal friend, Uj
whom we were devotedly attached.

Levi P. Morton.

To the Misses Sherman : The death of my old
commander causes deep sorrow to myself and house-
hold. Our sympathy is with his family in their great
affliction. John M. Harlan.

To the Hon. John Sherman : We mourn with the
family and kindred of General Sherman. He w^s

6i'2 GENERAL SHERMAN.

beloved by me and my family with the warmest per-
sonal affection. I expect to reach the Fifth Avenue
Hotel Monday. R. B. Hayes.

To Hon. John Sherman: Please accept for your-
self and the members of your family sympathy in
the bereavement you suffer in the loss of the general
commander, who was my dearest friend.

J. M. ScHoriEi.D.

The following is the President's message to the
family of General Sherman :

Executive Mansion, Washington, Feb. 14, 1891. —
To Hon. John Sherman, New York : I loved ana
venerated General Sherman, and would stand very
near to the more deeply afflicted members of his
family in this hour of bereavement. It will be as if
there were one dead in every loyal household in the
land. I suggest the body be borne through Wash-
ington and lie in state for one day in the rotunda of
the Capitol. Please advise me of any arrangements
made. Benjamin Harrison.

Upward of three thousand telegrams were received
within twenty-four hours, expressing the sympathy
felt in all parts of the land, and the high appreciation
in which General Sherman was held by all classes of
his countrymen.

There is something impressive in the sight of a
great natipn moved by a commor) feeling. As m tb^

THE LAST BATTLE. 513

old days of the war the whole North was sometimes
thrilled and overjoyed by the^ news of victory, so now
the country was affected by a commc i sorrow.

And the grief was not entirely confined within
geographical lines. In all parts of the land there
was mourning for the hero whose war record was
one of the most brilliant written in the annals of the
republic. The hills of New England, the Rockies in
the West, and the vales of the South might well have
been draped in black.

CHAPTER XXVI.

A Nation in Mourning. — Tributes of Love and

Respect.

President Harrison had just finished his luncheon
and was walking up stairs to his office when the bul-
letin announcing the death of General Sherman
reached the White House. The telegraph operator
handed the despatch to Private Secretary Halford,
who hastened to inform the President, and met him
on the stairway. The President was very much
shocked He served under General Sherman in the
famous march to the sea, and the friendship begun at
that time had been strengthened by their close asso-
ciation ever since. General Sherman never visited
Indianapolis while General Harrison was there with-
out spending many hours in his society, and even
greater intimacy had exisjed between them since the
President's election. The last time they were together
was on January 27th, when General Sherman called
at the White House in company with General Scho-
field. In the words of Mr. Halford, ''The President
had the greatest love and admiration for General
Sherman, and is sorely grieved at his death."

A few minutes after reading the bulletin the Presi-
dent received a brief telegram from Senator Sherman
announcing his brother's death. He thereupon sent for

614

A NATION IN MOUKNING. 515

General Lewis A. Grant, who was acting as Secretary
of War, and Major-General Schofield, and gave in-
structions for full military honors for the dead soldier,
and made several suggestions in regard to the cha-
racter of the general order announcing General Sher-
man's death to the army. He also prepared a message
to Congress on the same subject and issued the fol-
lovvinor executive order:

It is my painful duty to announce to the country
that General William Tecumseh Sherman died this
day at 1.50 oclock p. m., at his residence in the city of
New York. The Secretary of War will cause the
highest military honors to be paid to the memory of
this distinguished officer. The national flag will be
floated at half-mast over all public buildings until after
the burial, and the public business will he suspended
in the executive Departments at the city of Washing-
ton and in the city where the interment takes place
on the day of the '. neral, and in all places where
public expression is given to the national sorrow
during such hours as will enable every officer and
employee to participate therein with their fellow-
cidzens. Benjamin Harrison.

Executive Mansion, Washington, D. C, February
14, 1891.

An Ideal Soldier.

The message to Congress is as follows:

To the Senate and House of Representatives :

The death of William Tecumseh Sherman, which
took place to-day at his residence in the city of New

516 GENERAL SHERMAN.

York at 1.50 o'clock p. m., is an event that will bring
sorrow to the hearts of every patriotic citizen. No
living American was so loved and venerated as he.
To look upon his face, to hear his name, was to have
one's love of country intensified. He served his
country, not for fame, not out of a sense of profes-
sional duty, but for love of the flag and of the benef-
icent civil institutions of which it was the emblem.

He was an ideal soldier, and shared to the fullest
the esprit de corps of the army ; but he cherished the
civil institutions organized under the Constitution, and
was only a soldier that these might be perpetuated in
undiminished usefulness and honor. He was in noth-
ing an imitator. A profound student of military sci-
ence and precedent, he drew from them principles
and suggestions, and so adapted them to novel condi-
tions that his campaigns will continue to be the profit-
able study of the military profession throughout the
world.

His genial nature made him a comrade to every
soldier of the great Union army. No presence was
so welcome and inspiring at the camp-fire or com-
mandery as his. His career was complete ; his honors
were full. He had received from the Government
the highest rank known to our military establishment
and from the people unstinted gratitude and love.

No word of mine can add more to his fame. His
death has followed in startling quickness that of the
admiral of the navy, and it is a sad and notable inci-
dent that when the Department under which he served

A NATION IN MOURNING. 517

shall have put on the usual emblems of mourning- four
of the eight executive Departments will be simultane-
ously draped in black, and one other has but to-day
removed the crape from its walls.

Benj. Harrison.
Executive Mansion, Feb. 14, 1891.

General Army Order.

The Actincr Secretarv of War issued a general
order to the army announcing the death of General
Sherman. It included the President's message to
Congress and the executive order issued by him to
the executive Departments, and ordered that the War
Department be draped in mourning for the period of
thirty days, and that all business be suspended therein
on the day of the funeral.

This was accompanied by another order issued by
Adjutant-General Kelton, by command o( Major-Gen-
eral Schofield, as follows :

On the day of the funeral the troops at every mili-
tary post will be paraded and this order read to them,
after which all labors of the day will cease. The
national flag will be displayed at half-staff from the
time of the receipt of this order until the close of
ihe funeral. On the day of the funeral a salute of
seventeen euns will be fired at half-hour intervals,
commencing at eioht o'clock a. m. The officers of
the army will wear the usual badges of mourning,
and the colors of the several regiments and battal-
ions will be draped in mourning for a period of six

518 GENERAL SHERMAN.

months. The day and hour of the funeral will be com-
municated to department commanders by telegraph,
and by them to their subordinate commanders. Other
necessary orders will be issued hereafter relative to
the appropriate funeral ceremonies.

Imposing- Obsequies in New York.

General Sherman's funeral began in New York on
February 19th, and ended in St. Louis on the 21st.
But once has New York seen a o-reater funeral

o

pageant, and that was when General Grant was borne
to his tomb in Riverside Park. Twenty thousand
men, it is said, followed the remains of General Sher-
man as they were carried through the streets, decorated
with emblems of mournino- and throneed with mourn-
ers eager to participate in the last honors to the hero
of the " March to the Sea."

The day was wellnigh perfect, and from first to last
no serious accident, no untoward incident, detracted
from the beauty and impressiveness of the pageant.
The bright sunshine, which made the metal helmets of
the soldiers glitter as they marched and sent the light
flashing from swords and guns, relieved the sombre-
ness of the funeral cavalcade, and gave the procession
the appearance of bravery which befitted a great
soldier's funeral. Everything seemed suited to the
occasion and to the man, and Nature and the nation
joined in doing honor to the great Union captain.

Sympathetic Crowds.

An hour or more before the hour set for the mov-
ing of the procession the str--.ets along which it was

A NATION IN MOUKNING. 519

to pass began to fill, and at two o'clock they were
densely packed. Tens of thousands crowded every
available place, and some, women as well as men,
stood for hours, that they might see "Sherman's
funeral." The interest manifested was intense, and
the comments on the dead hero heard on every hand
were always appreciative, although sometimes uncouth.

The first thing that the waiting thousands saw were
the mounted police that forced the crowd back to the
sidewalks, leaving the street free for the vast proces-
sion. Not far behind them came the regular troops>
mounted and on foot, marching with the precision
which marks the veteran. Then followed, drawn by
four black horses, the caisson on the top of which
rested the coffined remains of General Sherman, the
simple casket covered with the flag of the United
States.

Behind the caisson came the carriages of the
mourners, the President, Cabinet, and other distin-
guished attendants, and these were followed by the
Loyal Legion, the Grand Army, and the National
Guard. The procession made a striking picture as
its various and contrasting sections passed slowly
down Fifth avenue, and it compelled the comment
that the hero of Atlanta was worthily escorted. In
the marching line was a committee of twelve men
from the Confederate Veteran Camp of New York,
and one of the honored pall-bearers was General
Joseph E. Johnston, one of the greatest of the
Confederate commanders.

520 GENEKAL SHERMAN.

The Solemn Knell.

As the procession moved church-bells tolled slowly.,
and from St. Thomas's, near Central Park, down to
Old Trinity, their solemn music gave notice that Gen-
eral Sherman's funeral escort was marching. At
intervals cannons boomed, salutes of seventeen guns
havine been fired at half-hour intervals from Fort
Wood on Bedloe's Island, Fort Hamilton, Fort Wads-
worth, Fort Schuyler, Governor's Island, Willett's
Point, and from the recruiting depot on David's Island.

The mourning decorations were not, as a rule,
elaborate, but they were tasteful, and such as Gen-
eral Sherman would have been likely to approve,
comprising mainly flags crape bordered. One of
these, which hung from one of the Vanderbilt houses,
bore the names of all the battles in which General
Sherman fought. Nearly every house passed by the
procession bore some evidence of sorrow, and from
some floated several flao-s bearinor the insignia of
mourninor. There was no ostentation ; there was also
no neglect. The mourning decorations, like the
pageant, were impressive, but they were not oppres-
sive throuo^h excessive sombreness.

The Casket Open during^ the Forenoon.

The casket remained open during the forenoon for
any distinguished visitors that might arrive from the
hotels. At 10.30 none but some intimate friends and
old veterans had come in to take a last look at their
old commander. A few minutes before eleven o'clock
a large floral shield was received at the house from

A NATION IN MOURNING. 521

West Point cadets. The shield was six feet in height
and four feet broad. It was made of white and blue
immortelles, and bore the inscription, " William Te-
cumseh Sherman, from his West Point boys, Class of
1840." At the top of the shield was the American
eagle worked in blue immortelles, and at the bottom
a sword and scabbard in the same flower. The base
of the shield was made of white calla lilies. At eleven
o'clock Secretaries Proctor and Rusk drove up to the
house in a carriage and passed in at the front door.

At eleven o'clock many other distinguished guests
arrived at the house. Among the number were Gen-
eral O'Beirne and General Romer. Shortly after them
Secretary Blaine walked up Seventy-first street, arm-in-
arm with General Thomas Ewing. President Harri-
son would not look upon the remains of the general.
The family sent an invitation to him this morning at
the Fifth Avenue Hotel, but the President kindly re-
plied that he preferred to keep with him the remem-
brances of the general while alive. He did not wish
to see him in death, when their associations had been
so warm and genial.

At noon every doorstep along the street was
crowded with interested spectators and windows
were filled with expectant faces. The street was
kept free from pedestrians, but the side-streets were
crowded with the forming troops and citizens.

About 12.25 the caisson, draped in black and
drawn by four horses, was drawn up in front of the
Sherman house. The horses were mounted by regu

622 GENERAL SHERMAN.

lars and an army officer was in charge. Behind the
caisson was an orderly leading the blajk charger
which bore the military trappings of the general. A
black velvet covering almost hid the horse from view,
but the boots and saddle were plainly conspicuous.

The services of prayer began promptly on the
hour. At five minutes to twelve a Father left the
general's late residence and entered No. "j"] Seventy-
first street, and summoned the boy choir of St.
Francis Xaviei'. The services were over at 12.30.
The prayers were read by Rev. Father Sherman.

There were about one hundred and fifty persons
present at these ceremonies. The greater number
were relatives, but there were many close friends as
well, among them being Mrs. Grant and Senator
Cameron.

The reading of the service and the singing to-
gether did not occupy more than fifteen minutes.
During that time no one was permitted to enter the
house. There were large crowds of people all along
the street and on the house-stoops, but they main-
tained the utmost order, and by their silent, com-
posed demeanor manifested their respect for the
dead general.

As the hour of two drew near the scene in the im-
mediate neighborhood was one full of life. Mounted
officers and orderlies dashed through the streets, the
polished trimmings of their horse equipments flash-
ing in the bright sunlight, and their yellow- and scar-
let-lined capes flying in the breeze.

VETERANS SALUTING THE FUNERAL TRAIN.

624 GENEEAL SHERMAN.

Drooping- Flag-s,

Flags at half-staff in almost countless numbers flut-
tered from windows of every house in the vicinity.

Ex-President Cleveland and Chauncey M. Depew
arrived at the house together about 1.30. Soon after
came Governor Pattison of Pennsylvania and Major-
General Snowden, with their staff, and followinor them
were Governor Bulkley and staff and Lieutenant-
Governor Jones. Ex-President Hayes was accom-
panied by Joseph H. Choate.

The Senate committee arrived in a body, wearing
the usual signs of mourning, and after them came the
large committee of the House. It was close on to
two o'clock when President Harrison, with Lieutenant
Ernst, his aide-de-camp, reached the house. Follow-
ing were the remaining members of the Cabinet.

Mourning- Decorations.

The hour at which the head of the funeral proces
b.on was to move from Seventy-first street was two
o'clock, but long before that time spectators began to
take up their places along the route of march. Every
house in the block where General Sherman lived so
long was tastefully decorated with draped flags.
Along Fifty-seventh street, from Broadway to Fifth
avenue, nearly every house was draped, and up to
noon the work of decoration continued. Fifth avenue
from the Plaza at Central Park to the Arch at Wash-
ington Square presented a bewildering array of
draped and half-masted flags. The club-house of the
Seventh Regiment Veterans was handsomely draped.

A NATION IN MOUKNING. 525

and the Union League Club building presented an
elaborate display of black. Especially noticeable were
the sombre decorations of the big hotels along the
line. The big wholesale houses on Broadway had
their flags at half-mast, and the smaller stores were
tastefully draped. The side-streets were similarly
decorated.

Forming' the Procession.

The first move toward the formation of the pro-
cession was at 1.58. General Howard came out on
the front steps of the general's residence and ordered
the caisson, which had beeii withdrawn, to come up.
At that instant a detailed squad of the Sixth Cavalry
formed to the left of the house in the middle of the
street. The caisson came up in front of the house at
exactly two o'clock. Generals Howard, Slocum, John-
ston, and other military dignitaries formed two lines
on the walk and made a passageway to the caisson.
As the pall-bearers left the house an army band out
toward Central Park began playing a funeral march.

Six lieutenants appeared in the doorway bearing on
their shoulders the casket of the general. Slowly they
bore their burden to the awaiting funeral carriage. All
heads were then bared, and silence reigned from one
end of the street to the other. This was at 2.05. A
narchlng order was given and the caisson moved out
.oward Eighth avenue. The private carriage of Gen-
eral Butterfield was then driven to the door, and
Generals Schofield, Ploward, Slocum, and Schofield's
aide entered. The pall-bearers were then seated In

526 GENERAL SHERMAN.

their respective carriages in quick succession, and
were ready to fall into line.

The members of the family then entered their car-
riages, and the friends, governors, senators, and other
notables followed in the order previously announced.

The procession at 2.45 had moved down Eighth
avenue for some distance, but the movement was very
slow. Out on the side-streets were hundreds of car-
riages waiting for a place in the immense procession.

As the caisson bearing the body rumbled over the
pavement through the sunlit street into Eighth avenue
the vast crowds stood with uncovered heads, rever-
ently watching the starry folds of the American flag
enveloping the casket. More than one veteran wept
as the body of his old commander was borne past
him. The sidewalks, the roof-tops, every window,
swarmed with watching humanity. As the cortege
passed down the avenue there fell in behind it the
Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United
States and officers of the army and navy, among them
being representatives of the Ohio Commandery, of
which General Sherman was a member. Then came
the Grand \''my of the Republic, followed by the West
Point cadets.

The next in line was the National Guard, under
command of General Louis Fitzgerald. Among the
veterans were the Confederate Veterans' Camp of
the city of New York, riding in carriages, and after
them came, in carriages, representatives of the
Chamber of Commerce and the New York Historical

A NATION IN MOUENING. 52?

Society, of the Common Councils of Boston and
Brooklyn, the Union League Club, and other bod-
ies. Altogether, fully fifteen thousand men were in
line.

The whole line of the long route was thronged on
sidewalks, on house-tops, and in every window with
reverent spectators, who stood in silence with bare
heads as the body of the dead general was borne
past them. The route was lined with seventeen hun-
dred policemen, and the most perfect order was
maintained. As the procession moved slowly along
the church-bells be^an to toll, and through the whole
route the mournful sound of the bells continued as it
wended its way to its destination. There were many
funeral dirges played, but none struck with keener
force on the listening ears than " Marching through
Georgia," played in half time, as arranged for the
occasion.

In New York especially General Sherman was a
favorite. The achievements of the man, his blunt yet
kind demeanor, his downright integrity, and honesty
of purpose, his commanding figure, which, wherever
he went, associated Am with the heroic deeds of
the nations' patriots, all served to endear him to the
hearts of the people, and awake profound regret at
his death.

New York honored itself in the memorable tribute
she paid to the dead soldier. The assemblage of per-
sons from distant places told how strong a hold Sher-
man had upon the love and admiration of his country-

528 GENEKAL SHERMAN.

men. He had made his place in the nation's his-
tory. He was a magnificent figure in the wonderfial
panorama of our national life and deeds. It was
fitting that his obsequies should be nothing less than
a national demonstration.

CHAPTER XXVII.

Final Obsequies of General Sherman. — Grand
Procession of Troops and Civic Bodies,

On February 21st, St. Louis bade an impressive
farewell to the soldier whose miUtary genius was
excelled by none and equalled by few.

For the first time in several days the sun shone out
gloriously, but its rays fell upon a city draped in
mourning. The hearts of the people were saddened,
and with one accord all manner of men abandoned
"heir earthly pursuits and assembled along the line of
he funeral procession to do homage to the honored
dead. As early as 6.30 o'clock in the morning the
Union Depot was thronged with people awaiting the
arrival of the Sherman funeral train. As the morning
advanced the crowd became larger, and each train as
it entered the depot deposited load after load of
human freight, which added to the throng until the
depot became almost impassable.

When the hands of the big clock pointed to 8.20
o'clock a squad of police marched to the depot, and
soon the immense crowd was under control. In a few
minutes the funeral train appeared, and the ponder-
ous iron horse slowly rolled into the station. The
dull black engine looked duller, blacker, and heavier
than ever before, its sombre drapings of mourning
adding to the dismal effect.

3A m

630 GENERAL SHERMAN.

For miles the streets were lined with solid walls of
people, standing at least a dozen deep, and the evi-
dences of affection in which his fellow-townsmen held
General Sherman were abundant on all sides. The
city was draped in mourning. Evidences of individual
sorrow were also abundant, and badges of ribbon and
crape fluttered from every coat-lapel. The grief of
those in the procession was not alone genuine, but
apparent to every one. His comrades of Ransom
Post marched in hollow square about the caisson.

The Historic Thirteenth.

Following the caisson were the handful of surviv-
ors of the old Thirteenth Infantry, a small and grief-
stricken body of men, following their old leader over
a road which they too must travel at no very far dis-
tant day

There were, besides, thousands of veterans of the
war, members of the Grand Army of the Republic,
old and grizzled comrades-in-arms of the dead gen-
eral. Slowly they walked, and only too plainly was
it written that the ravages of time were fast depleting
the ranks of the preservers of the Union. Yet
none of them were so feeble that they would admit,
even to themselves, that they were taxing their
strength in following Sherman to Calvary, even as
they had followed him to Savannah.

Arrival of the Funeral Train.

The funeral train arrived at just half-past eight. As
it crossed the bridge a salute from a near-by battery
announced its approach. Emerging from the tunnel.

FINAL OBSEQUIES. 531

it was compelled to proceed slowly while the police
cleared the tracks of people. On the depot platform
was Governor Francis with his staff and the members
of the General Reception Committee, headed by
Messrs. James C. Yeatman and Henry Pitchcock.

After an exchange of greetings the governor and
representatives of the General Committee and Ran-
som Post, G. A. R., were introduced to the members
of the Cabinet and Lieutenants Fitch and Thackara.

Meantime, outside, the military companies were
moved into position. The caisson on which the body
was to be borne from the train to its resting-place was
standing on Poplar street, at the entrance of the car-
riage-way. It was from Battery E, First Artillery, and
was under Lieutenant Wilson, with Sergeant Cannon
in immediate charge. It was drawn by six bay horses.
The riders were the men who worked the Hotchkiss
gun at the battle of Wounded Knee Creek during the
recent Indian war. They belonged to the Seventh
Cavalry, known as the " Fighting Seventh." Their
names were Privates Mallory, Ryan and Krauss. The
body-bearers were eight sergeants. Four of them —
Sergeants Connelly, Lang, Hennessey and Siegber —
were from the Seventh Cavalry. The other four —
Sergeants Hunneman, Lavay, French and Donohugh
— were from Battery E, First Artillery.

The Riderless Horse.

In front of the caisson, on Poplar street, was th^
Twelfth Infantry, from F'ort Leavenworth, under coiri-
mand of Colonel Townsend, drawn up in line facij\i;

532 GENEKAL SHERMAN.

the depot. On the opposite side of the street were
the members of Ransom Post, who were to act as
guard of honor. The horse that was to be led behind
the caisson, equipped with the dead general's saddle,
bridle, boots and spurs, stood next to the caisson.
He was a black horse belonging to Troop D, Seventh
Cavalry, of Fort Riley, Kansas, and was brought from
there especially for this purpose. It was led by Ser-
eeant Georoe H. Rathouber. The hearse on this
occasion was not covered with a black cloth, as was
done in the general parade in New York.

Removal of the Body from the Train.

At a quarter-past ten an open barouche drove into
the carriage-way. All of the floral pieces brought
from New York and those received during the trip
were put in this carriage, to be conveyed to the
cemetery. General Merritt and staff arrived at the
depot at half-pafit ten. At this hour the adjacent
streets and Twelfth street bridge were fairly black
with people. The police had all they could to keep
room enough for the procession to move in.

Immediately after the arrival of General Merritt
and staff preparations were made to remove the body
fr(-'m the car where it had rested during its Ion:
journey. The eight body-bearers took up position-.^
at the car-door, four on each side. Directly behind
them, six on a side stood the honorary pall-bearers.
They were : Military — Major-General John Pope,
Brevet Major- General Amos Beckwith, Brevet Major-
General A. J. Smith, Brevet Major-General John W.

FINAL OBSEQUIES. 533

Turner, Brevet Major-General Willard Warner, Brevet
Brigadier-General John W. Barriger, Commander
Charles S. Cotton, U. S. N. ; Citizens — Judge Samuel
Treat. Colonel Georore E. Leiorhton, Colonel Charles
S. Parsons, Byron Sherman, Esq., Daniel B. Harri-
son, Isaac Sturgeon, and Thomas E. Tutt.

A Silent Throng.

Ranofed in line on each side of the carriacr*^-
entrance were the military and public officials who
had accompanied the remains from New York, Gen-
eral Merritt and staff, and Governor Francis and
staff Three comrades of Ransom Post entered the
funeral car and assisted the six serg^eants in charcre
to lift the casket out through the car-door to the
shoulders of the waiting pall-bearers. As the end
of the flag-covered oaken box was passed through
the door every head was uncovered and silence
reigned supreme. Slowly and carefully the precious
burden was taken from the car and placed on the
shoulders of the stalwart sergeants.

As they started with slow step out through the
carriage-way to the waiting caisson, the Twelfth
Infantry presented arms, flags were dipped and the
^regimental band played Pleyel's well-known hymn.
Many, many hearts were touched by the sight, and
veterans and comrades of the dead soldier could
be seen crying on all sides. Generals Howard and
Slocum were so overcome they could not speak for
several minutes. The casket was placed lengthwise
on the caisson and strapped in place. On it were

634 GENERAL SHERMAN.

placed the hat and sword of him who lay inside.
The delivery of the remains to the St. Louis body-
guard relieved the six sergeants who had accom-
panied it from New York of all further care.

The Procession.

When the fastening of the casket was finished,
Colonel L. Townsend gave the order to march, and
the Twelfth Infantry wheeled into line and marched
up Eleventh street to the corner of Clark street.
Here they halted. The open carriage with the floral
pieces followed directly behind. Then the order was
given by Lieutenant Wilson, and the caisson, with its
sacred burden, moved slowly up Eleventh street to a
place next the carriage containing the flowers. On
each side of the caisson walked the four military
body-bearers. Directly the caisson started the four
hundred members of Ransom Post, who had made
up the guard of honor, marched up in two columns,
Dne going to one side and the other on the opposite
side of the caisson. The saddle-horse bearing the
riding equipments of the general was led just be-
hind the caisson and between the columns of Ran-
som Post.

Meanwhile the immediate members and relatives
of the Sherman family had filled coaches, and werc^
now driven into a place in the procession next to the
guard of honor. Behind the family were carriages in
which were the people who had come from New York
to attend the funeral. In the first coach were Secre-
tary and Mrs. Noble, Judge Hough and Major Ran-

FINAL OBSEQUIES. 535

dolph ; in the second, Secretary Rusk, Assistant
Secretary Grant, Charles A. Greeley, Captain Kings-
bury; the third carnage contained ex- President Hayes,
General Schofield, Governor Stannard, and Lieuten-
ant Anderson ; the fourth, Generals Howard, Slocum,
and Broadhead and Lieutenant Howard ; the fifth,
General Alger, James E. Yeatman, Colonel McCreary,
and General James D. Moore. When these carriages
had taken their proper places in the line, General
Merritt with his staff galloped to the head of the pro-
cession, which was at the corner of Clark avenue and
Eleventh street. At just ten minutes after eleven,
all division commanders having reported everything
ready. General Merritt gave the order to march.

Great Popular Demonstration.

The funeral column was made up of six divisions,
composed of the regular military escort, as provided
by army regulations, and Grand Army posts. Loyal
Legion, Sons of Veterans, civic societies, State militia
of Missouri and Ohio, and Legislatures of Missouri,
Illinois, and Kansas, governors of States and staffs,
unorganized bodies, and citizens in carriages and on
foot. The route of the procession from the depot to
Calvary Cemetery, a distance of nearly eight miles, was
through some of the principal streets and avenues.
After starting from the junction of Eleventh street and
Clark avenue, the cortege moved up Eleventh street
to Market, through Market to Twelfth, and through
Twelfth to Pine street. The route was through the
business section.

636 GENERAL SHERMAN.

The stores were closed, but the windows of nearly
all the big blocks were filled with spectators, and the
sidewalks were filled with crowding, surging masses
of humanity. While there was no disorder (in the
full sense of the word) in the streets mentioned, the
jam of people coming in from the various intersect-
ing streets when the procession started was some-
thing terrific. Strong men and weak women were
swept along by this human tidal wave until they
were brought to a standstill by the crowds that
already had possession of every inch of available
standinor-room.

The march to the cemetery from the depot was
through some of the principal streets of the city.
The route laid out was through Eleventh, Market,
Twelfth, and Pine and Grand avenue, thence out
Florissant avenue to Calvary Cemetery. The en-
trance to the cemetery was by the rear gate. The
larger part of the military remained outside of the
cemetery.

The Scene at the Cemetery.

When the caisson entered the gates of the cem-
etery most of the troops remained outside of the
cemetery. On account of the large, number of car-
riages occupied by Grand Army men, members of the
Loyal Legion, and the Sons of Veterans who were
unable to endure the fatigue of the entire march of
nearly eight miles, and for whom carnages were pro-
vided at the corner of Grand and K^.FA?rn avenues,
the road from the entrance to the rx-i'^Mery tc the

FINAL OBSEQUIES. 537

grave was soon blocked, and many of those who
occupied carnages and near the end of the proces-
sion were obHged to leave them some distance from
Jie gate and walk to the grave. This caused some
delay, and it was not until half-past two o'clock that
all who had been assigned places took their positions
about the open grave, which was lined inside with
flags.

A short distance to the south was the brave
Thirteenth, to the east members of the G. A. R.,
and direcdy around it to the north were grouped
Senator Sherman, the Misses Sherman, P. T. Sher-
man, Colonel Hoyt Sherman, Lieutenants Thackara
and Fitch and their wives, Judge and Mrs. P. B.
Ewing, General and Mrs. Thomas Ewing, General
and Mrs. Nelson A. Miles, Secretary and Mrs. Noble,
Secretary and Mrs. Rusk, Assistant Secretary Grant,
ex-President Hayes, General Schofield, General How-
ard, General Slocum, and others. After all had taken
their positions the eight sergeants, acting as body-
bearers, lifted the casket from the caisson and bore it
reverentially to the grave, when all that was mortal
of General Sherman was lowered to its last resting-
place. The casket was draped with flags and was
bare of any floral tributes.

The Services at the Grave.

The services were of the simplest character and
were conducted by Rev. Thomas Ewing Sherman,
all assembled at the grave standing with uncovered
heads. As the casket was being lowered the regi-

538 GENERAL SHERMAN.

mental band played Pleyel's hymn. Father Sherman
read the Catholic service, one of the selections being
"I am the resurrection and the life," offered a fervent
prayer, and the services were at an end. As the
services progressed many about the grave were
visibly affected, and when the flags surrounding the
casket were removed the sounds of low sobbing were
heard. At three o'clock the closing of the grave
took place, and the buglers of the Seventh Calvary
sounded "Taps," "Lights out." Salutes were fired
by the Thirteenth Infantry, followed by three salvos
of artillery, which was stationed some distance to
the east. Wreaths and branches of evergreens were
then placed upon the grave by loving hands. The
funeral party and troops returned to the station and
the many thousands of citizens dispersed to their
homes.

Thus was laid to rest by the side of his wife and
two sons, one of whom was his " soldier boy," Gen-
eral William Tecumseh Sherman

Description by an Eye-witness.

The following graphic recital of the events attend-
ing the last obsequies is from the pen of an eye-witness
of the wonderful spectacle :

The scene at the St. Louis Union Depot as early as
six o'clock was one of great animation, and by the
time the funeral train arrived the crowd rivalled in
numbers the largest ever seen in this city. Every few
minutes, from 6.40 a. m, to 10 o'clock, a train would
roll in bearing a com.pany or regiment of militia under

FINAL OBSEQUIES. 539

arms and In full uniform, besides numerous civilians
and State dignitaries from other States. Committees
were promptly on hand to meet and escort them to
their respective places, and notwithstanding the push
and jam of the crowd, there was but little confusion in
readily carrying out the programme that had been
previously arranged. With the marching and counter-
marching of the incoming troops, with their glistening
bayonets, the scene just before the arrival of the
funeral train vividly called to mind the excitement
attending upon the movements of an army during
the war.

It was early announced that the funeral train, which
was expected at 7.30 o'clock, would not arrive till 8.25,
so there was no anxious waiting upon the part of the
committees appointed to meet it. A few minutes after
eight o'clock Colonel Brodhead, chairman of the re-
ception committee, and a number of the members of
his committee, assembled in the ladies' waiting-room
of the depot, and were soon joined by Governor
Francis and several other prominent gentlemen.
They proceeded to a position just outside the main
entrance, where they were joined by General Merrltt.

Dense Crowd.

Promptly at 8.30 the funeral train was sighted
slowly approaching around the curve at the east end
of the yards. Its approach was announced by a
salute. The crowd that now lined both sides of the
track to a depth of several feet became anxious to
catch a view of the train, and were widi great dif-

540 GENERAL •SHERMAN.

ficulty pressed back by the police, who were stationed
every few feet along the track.

The engine drawing the train was No. 8 of the
Bridge and Tunnel Company. It was heavily draped
in black, and on the headlight was placed an engrav-
ing of the dead general surrounded by a band of
black, while over the engine was fastened a United
States flag draped with crape. Slowly, with muffled
bell, the engine pulled past the main entrance, reveal-
ing one after another the eight heavily and tastefully
draped coaches composing the funeral train, till the
locomotive reached the Twelfth street bridge.

Impressive Scene.

Immediately following the engine was the funeral
car, with the doors of each side pushed back, reveal-
ing the interior. The floor was covered with a hand-
some carpet, and in the centre was a catafalque, or:
which rested the black walnut casket covered with a
silk flag, while on the top of it lay the dead general's
sword and hat. At the head of the casket were a
number of beautiful floral emblems, and at the foot,
on a stand, were the saddle, bridle, boots, and other
riding equipments of the dead hero. The interior of
the car was entirely covered with black cloth. On
each side of the catafalque stood erect the guard of
honor, composed of the following past commanders
of Ransom Post, who went on to meet the train at In-
dianapolis: John B. Harlow, J. G. Butler, Smith P.
Gait, and A. G. Peterson.

The commercial strife of a great city was arrested

FINAL OBSEQUIES. 541

for a few hours when the people of St. Louis ranged
themselves in line and paid reverence to the remains
of William Tecumseh Sherman. Outwardly this as-
pect of mourning was preserved throughout the day,
save for the activity of the restless ones, who, having
satisfied their curiosity, set about other business. No
one can gainsay the affection and respect felt for Gen-
eral Sherman by the mass of the multitude who for-
£Ook their customary vocations. It was shown in the
deep and reverential silence maintained while the pro-
cession passed — in the eagerness of the many whom
a mere military show does not summon from their
homes.

The spectacle offered by the funeral procession was
most impressive and significant. Two generations of
men and women blocked the sidewalks along Pine
street and Grand avenue for many miles. For the
older generation war had been a horrible reality ; for
the younger it was but an historical episode. But
young and old were perhaps equally impressed by the
solemnity of it all.

The murmur of expectation caused by the distant
sound of approaching troops was stilled when the
first horseman advanced, and silence fell upon the
multitude assembled to the west of where the proces-
sion had gotten under way. All was in harmony with
the occasion. Early in the morning the clouds low-
ered forbiddingly, and there seemed small hope that
the wretched weather of the past week would be
broken. But just before eleven o'clock — the hour

542 GENERAL SHERMAN.

set for the order to march — the sun absorbed the mist
and shone cheerfully enough, and a light breeze bore
away the smoke and the lingering fog. The streets
had been washed clean by the heavy rains ; the air
was fresh and bracing. It was excellent marching
weather.

Bronzed Veterans.

The sight of trained soldiers is always an inspiring
one. In line was a regiment of the regular army, a
regiment made up of cavalry, artillery, and infantry —
bronzed and weatherbeaten men, most of them, who
formed a dignified and solemn escort to the remains
of the old commander. The troops showed service,
and when the broken companies of the Seventh
Cavalry rode by the spectators were reminded that
war is even yet a reality and that these men had
fouo^ht at Wounded Knee.

No more melancholy procession than a military
funeral finds its way to a cemetery. Neither crape
nor coffin was needed to emphasize the mournful-
ness of that march to the grave. The impression
of sorrow is conveyed in the slow steps of the
soldiers, in the sad strains of bugles which were
moulded for inspiring melody, and in the sullen tone
of muffled drums. As the escort moved west there
came a sound even more doleful than these. It was
the tolling of the bell in the tower of St. John's
Catholic church at Sixteenth and Chestnut streets.
It began before the escort was under way, and
clanged a cheerless accompaniment to the slow and

FINAL OBSEQUIES. 643

monotonous tramp of the troops. Then one of the
military bands struck up a funeral march, and people
easily affected felt glad that the sun was shining.

Tokens of Grief.

Since the war in which Sherman fought there has
perhaps occurred nowhere in the West so imposing
a public ceremony. In the matter of mere numbers
there has been no such body of men in line in St.
Louis since the encampment of the Grand Army of
the Republic. It was not singular, then, that the
railways brought to this city thousands of strangers,
who, swelling the local population, made sightseers
thankful that the route to the cemetery was so long.
Otherwise the pavements and the windows along the
line of march would scarcely have accommodated the
crowds.

They stretched for miles up Pine street and along
Grand avenue, and the streets at their intersection
were blocked with well-filled wagons. Mourning
was displayed in many windows, and while the pro-
cession was under way St. Louis and its people
showed innumerable tokens of sincere grief. There
was something more than this visible in the attitude
of the older spectators. They realized that another
link in the chain of events between '6i and '91 had
been broken — that another paragraph was prepared
for American history. And they took their way
thoughtfully to their homes, never to forget the
mournful scenes of the day.

Seldom has St. Louis ever made such a display of

544 GENERAL SHESMAN.

Visible tokens of its sorrow. Perhaps it has never
been more universally draped in mourning. Both in
the business portions and the residence neighbor-
hoods there was a general display of funeral hang-
ings. The stately buildings on the down-town streets
and the small and unpretentious shops removed fron
the business centre were alike draped. On tl;
public buildings the sombre materials were unspar
ingly used. Along parts of the route of the funeral
pageant every building was made to testify to the
general sadness. In every part of the city the same
mournful scenes were presented. The drapery and
other emblems varied in quality, quantity, and per-
haps in taste and skill of arrangement, but whether it
was the black calico draping of the small shop or the
cashmere, serge, bombazine, bunting, or broadcloth
of the richer houses, it none the less testified to the
popular esteem in which the city held the dead hero.
Flags in Graceful Folds.

Many liberally disposed persons incurred great ex-
pense in this work of love and reverence, though they
occupied houses in unfrequented streets, where their
displays were hidden from general view. The ma-
terials used in the principal down-town thoroughfares
and in the wealthier residence neighborhoods were all
costly.

The piers of the basement section of the Govern-
ment building were heavily shrouded with black, an^
the upper stories were hung with the same materials,
secured with black rosettes. The City buildings were

FINAL OBSEQUIES. 545

all elaborately draped with black materials and flags.
In the windows everywhere were portraits of Sher-
man in black frames. Large flags gracefully arranged
In folds or looped up with black bands were used as
drapery on many of the big business buildings and on
private dwellings. On others there were many small
flags with crape sashes.

A large flag with a heavy black bar extending diag-
onally across it floated over Washington avenue near
Seventh street. Broad bands of mourning were
stretched lenc/thwise across several buildings on that
street, and a large number of the windows were hand-
somely decorated. Black and white feathers taste-
fully grouped, and sheaves of wheat and rye with
appropriate inscriptions, made many of the large
windows on the principal streets attractive.

The banks, the railroad offices, big wholesale
houses, hotels, and other large edifices, all bore some
mournful tribute to the dead man. It was all done
hurriedly, but none the less tastily.

The wealthy residents on the streets and avenues
through which the funeral procession passed had their
palatial abodes put in mourning costume by skilled
decorators and designers. The work was not elabo-
rate, but it was rich, costly, and in keeping with the
homes. Many of these houses were not draped, how-
ever, either because of the short time allowed for
the work after it was known what route the funeral
procession would take or because of a question of
propriety.

546 GENERAL SHERMAN.

Myriads wlio Honor the Hero.

The hotels were all so well filled that many of the
late-comers to the city could not obtain rooms, but
myriads came for the day only, and the numbers who
sought accommodations at the hotels furnished no
fair standard by which to estimate the entire number
of strangers in the city. By noon the population liad
bounded from its ordinary limit at half a million to
very much nearer six hundred thousand, and citizens
and strangers were out early, side by side, seeking
the most advantageous point possible from which to
view the procession. Hundreds of country relatives
and friends found comfortable quarters in the houses
of citizens within view of the line of march, but there
were myriads who were less fortunate. Train-load
after train-load rolled into the depot from every poin^
of the compass during the first half of the day.

The day had scarcely begun when the earliest
arrivals were landed, and soon there were in all of
the down-town streets little, broken, irregular lines of
men and women wandering about till time for the
pageant to move. In a short time these processions
became denser and broader. A little later armed and
uniformed lines of men gave variety to the scene.
Soon they were all over the down-town district. They
no longer moved in thread-like lines ; the sidewalks
were no longer broad enough to hold them. Every
house except those along the line of march seemed to
give up its occupants to join the strangers in the wild
rush hither and thither, jostling and pushing to get in

FINAL OBSEQUIES. 547

the streets from which the column could be seen, and
afterward to get good standing-places there.

Martial Dirges.

Then there was a blare and clash of bands, and the
b:g crowd increased its struggle to get the vantage-
points. Hundreds of them took to the street-cars and
were quickly transported far out along the line. Hun-
dreds of others did not understand the necessity of
going early, and as a result the jam was so great in
many of the down-town streets that the street-cars
were delayed or stopped entirely when the procession
was forming.

All kinds of vehicles were moving in the direction
of Pine street lone before the cortege was to move.
Trucks of all kinds, licensed and unlicensed vender-
wagons and carts rigged out with rows of wooden
benches, light wagons, carriages, coaches, and cabs,
were called into use to give the anxious people an
opportunity to see the uniformed line. But many of
them were disappointed.

The windows, roofs, and balconies were lined with
people before the procession moved. And still others
came pushing and crowding, creeping under wagons
and crowding between vicious horses. They rushed
pellmell one way in expectation of finding a vacant
place, and then dashed back again when they discov^
ered that there was no such place in sight. Pale-
faced, ill-clad women, gayly-dressed girls, clerks,
workingmen. and merchants crowded together and
conversed while the line moved.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

Glowing Eulogies upon the World-Renowned
Commander.

When the President's message announcing Gen-
eral Sherman's death reached the Senate, discussion
of the subject under consideration (the Copyright
bill) was suspended, and Mr. Hawley, of Conneciicut^
offered the followino-:

Resolved, That the Senate receives with profound
sorrow the announcement of the death of William
Tecumseh Sherman, late general of the armies of
the United States.

Resolved, That the Senate renews its acknowledg-
ment of the inestimable services which he rendered
to his country in the day of its extreme peril, laments
the great loss which the country has sustained, and
deeply sympathizes with his family in its bereave-
ment.

Resolved, That a copy of these resolutions be for
warded to the family of the deceased.

Mr. Hawley said :

" Mr. President, at this hour the Senate, the Con-
gress, and the people of the United States are one
family. What we have been daily expecting has hap-
pened: General Sherman has received and obeyed
his last order. He was a great soldier by the judg-

548

GLOWING EULOGIES. 649

ment of the great soldiers of the world. In time
of peace he had been a ereat citizen, elowino- and
abounding with love of country and of all human
ity. His glorious soul appeared in every look,
gesture, and word. The history of our country is
rich in soldiers who have set examples of simple sol
Alrrly obedience to the civil law and of self-abnega
iion. Washino^ton, Grant, Sheridan, and Sherman
lead the list. Sherman was the last of the illustri-
ous trio who were by universal consent the foremost
figures in the armies of the Union in the late war.
Among the precious traditions — to pass into our his-
tory for the admiration of the old and the instructior^
of the young — was their friendship, their most har-
monious co-operation without a shadow of ambition
or pride. When General Grant was called to Wash-
ington to take command of the armies of the Union
his great heart did not forget the men who stood by
him."

Beautiful Tribute by Hawley.

Here Mr. Hawley read the letter from Grant to
Sherman (written at that time), expressing thanks to
him and McPherson as the men to whom, above all
others, he owed his success, and Sherman's letter in
reply saying that General Grant did himself injustice
and them too much honor.

Mr. Hawley closed his remarks (his voice fre-
quently giving way from grief and emotion) by read-
ing the following passage from Bunyan's Pilgrim' i
Progress :

550 GENERAL SHERMAN,

"After this It was noised about that Mr. Valiant-
for-Truth was taken with a summons. When he
understood it he called for his friends and told them
of it. Then said he : 'I am going to my fathers ; and
though with great difficulty I got hither, yet now I do
not repent me of all the trouble I have been at to
arrive w^here I am. My sword I give to him that
shall succeed me in my pilgrimage, and my courage
and skill to him that can get them. My marks and
scars I carry with me, to be a witness for me that I
have fought His battles who will now be a rewarder.'
When the day that he must go hence was come,
many accompanied him to the river-side, into which
as he went, he said, ' Death, where is thy sting?' and
as he went down deeper he said, ' Grave, where is
thy victory ?' So he passed over, and all the trumpets
sounded for him on the other side."

From Senator Morg^aii.

Mr. Morgan said : " On this occasion of national
solemnity I would lead the thoughts and sympathies
of the American Senate back to those days in our
history when General Sherman was, by a choice
greatly honorable to his nature, a citizen of the State
of Louisiana, and presided over a college for the
instruction of Southern youths in the arts of war and
the arts of peace. These were not worse days than
some we have seen durine the last half of this
century. In those days, notwithstanding the then
conditions of the South, in view of its institutions
inherited from the older States of the East, every

GLOWING EULOGIES. 651

American was as welcome in Louisiana and the
South as he was elsewhere in the Union. We are
gradually and surely returning- to that cordial state
of feeling which was unhappily interrupted by the
Civil War.

" Our fathers taught us that it was the highest pa-
triotism to defend the Constitution of the country.
But they had left within its body guarantees of an insti-
tution that the will of the majority finally determined
should no longer exist, and which put the conscience
of the people to the severest test. Looking back
now to the beginning of this century and to the con-
flict of opinion and of material interests engendered
by these guarantees, we can see that they never could
have been stricken out of the organic law except by a
conflict of arms. The conflict came, and it was bound
to come, and Americans became enemies, as they were
bound to be in the settlement of issues that involved
so much of money, such radical political results, and
the pride of a great and illustrious race of people.
The power rested with the victors at the close of the
conflict, but not all the honors of the desperate war-
fare. Indeed, the survivors are now winning honors,
enriched with justice and magnanimity, not less worthy
than those who fell in battle, in their labors to restore
the country to its former feeling of fraternal regard
and to unity of sentiment and action, and to promote
its welfare.

'' The fidelity of the great general who has just de-
parted in the ripeness of age and with a history

552 GENERAL SHERMAN.

marked by devotion to his flag was the true and
simple faith of an American to his convictions of duty.
We differed with him and contested campaigns and
battle-fields with him, but we welcome the history of
the great soldier as the proud inheritance of our
country. We do this as cordially and as sincerely as
we orave him welcome in the South as one of our
people when our sons were confided to his care in a
relation that (next to paternity) had its influence upon
the young men of the country.

Supreme Devotion.

"The great military leaders on both sides of our
Civil War are rapidly marching across the borders to
a land where history and truth and justice must de-
cide upon every man's career. When they meet
there they will be happy to find that the honor of
human a':t/ons is not always measured by their wis-
dom, but by the motives in which they had their
origin I cherish the proud belief that the heroes of
the Civil War will find that, measured by this stand-
ard, none of them, on either side, were delinquent,
and they will be happy in an association that will
never end, and will never be disturbed by an evil
thought, jealousy, or distrust. When a line so narrow
divides us from those high courts in which our actions
are to be judged by their motives, and when so many
millions now livinor and increasino- millions to follow
are to be affected by the wisdom of our eriactments,
we will do well to give up this day to reflection upon
our duties and (in sympathy with this great country'!

GLOWING EULOGIES. 553

to dedicate the day to his memory. In such a retro-
spect we shall find an admonition that an American
Senate should meet, on this side of the fatal line of
death, as the American generals meet on the other
side, to render justice to each other and to make our
beloved country as happy, comparatively, as we should
wish the great Beyond to be to those great spirits.

From Senator Manderson.

Mr. Manderson said that as the hours of the last
few days passed away he had not had the heart to
make such preparation for the event which all feared
and dreaded as might seem to be meet and appropri-
ate. He had been afraid to prepare anything that
might be in the nature of a post-mortem tribute. It
seemed like a surrender to the enemy. The death
of General Sherman came (although one might have
been prepared for it) as the unexpected. It was a
day of mourning and grief. Here, at the capital of
the nation, lay the body of the great admiral, the
chief of the navy ; and in New York was being pre-
pared for the last sad rites the body of the greatest
military genius which the nation had produced.
General Sherman had been not only great as a
military leader, but he had been great as a civilian.
Who was there that had heard him tell of the events
of his wonderful career who had not been filled with
admiration and respect for his abilities ? It seemed
to him that General Sherman was perhaps the only
man in the North who in the early days of the war
seemed to appreciate what the terrible conflicc meant

554 GENERAL SHERMAN'.

It was recollected how it was said in 1861 that he
must be insane to make the suggestions which he
made. These suoi^estions were so startling to the
country that he (Mr. Manderson) did not wonder that
men doubted General Sherman's sanity. Like men
of great genius, he seemed to have lived in that
debatable ground existing between the line of
perfect sanity and insanity.

After a review of General Sherman's military
career, opening at Shiloh and closing at Atlanta, Mr.
Manderson read General Sherman's letter to the
mayor and common council of Adanta, beginning,
" We must have peace, not only at Atlanta, but in all
America." In conclusion, Mr. Manderson said:

The Model Citizen.

" General Sherman v^as estimable as a citizen, and
as fully appreciated the duties of a civilian as he was
admirable as a soldier. But this strife which we have
watched for the past few days has ceased. The con-
flict has ended. The nation has witnessed it. Sixty
millions of people have stood in silence, watching for
the supreme result. Death, ever victorious, is again
a victor. A great conqueror is himself conquered.
Our captain lies dead. The pale lips say to the
sunken eye: 'Where is thy kindly glance?' And
no answer is returned."

Mr. Davis said he could hardly trust himself to
speak. He had been a soldier under General Sher-
man, and had received acts of kindness from him when
he was a subaltern. As the years had gone by and

GLOWING EULOGIES. 555

the widening avenues of life had opened up ways of
promotion, that acquaintance had ripened into friend-
ship, and, he might say, into intimacy. He had first seen
General Sherman at the siege of Vicksburg, twenty-
eight years ago, when he was the very incarnation of
war, but to-day that spirit had taken up its rest in the
everlasting tabernacle of death. It was fit that the
clangor of the great city should be hushed in silence,
and that the functions of government should be sus-
pended while the soul of the great commander was
passing to Him who gives and Him who takes away.
No more are heard the thunders of the captains and
the shoutings. The soul of the great warrior had
passed, and was standing in judgment befoi i Him
who was the God of battles and was also the God of
love.

Mr. Pierce, as one of the soldiers who had served
under General Sherman in the Army of the Tennes-
see, gave some reminiscences of the war and paid a
glowing eulogy to his old commander.

The Eloquent Evarts.

Mr. Evarts said that the afflicting intelligence of
the death of General Sherman had touched the Sen-
ate with the deepest sensibilities — that that grief was
not a private grief, nor was it limited by any narrower
bounds than those of the w^hole country. The affec-
tion of the people toward its honorable and honored
men did not always find a warm effusion, because
circumstances might not have brought the personal
career, the personal traits, the personal affectionate

556 GENERAL SHERMAN.

disposition of great men to the close and general
observation of the people at large. But of General
Sherman no such observation could be truly made.
Whatever of affection and of grief Senators might
feel was felt, perhaps, more intensely in the hearts
of the whole people. To observers of his death, as
they had been of his life. General Sherman had been
yesterday the most celebrated living American.

He was now added to that longer and more illus-
trious list of celebrated men of the country for the
hundred years of national life. One star differed from
another star in glory, but yet all of the stars had a
glory to which nothing could be added by eulogy and
from which nothing could be taken away by detrac-
tion. They shone in their own effulgence, and bor-
rowed no light from honor or respect. It had been
said already that General Sherman was the last of
the commanders. If those who had passed out of
life still watched over and took interest in what trans-
pired in this world (and no one doubted it), what
great shades must have surrounded the death-bed of
General Sherman ! And who could imagine a greater
death-bed for a ereat life than that which has been
watched over in a neighboring city during the week?
It had been reserved for him (Mr. Evarts), at the
declining hour of the day, as a Senator from the
State which General Sherman had honored by his
residence, and in which he had died, to move, out
of respect for his memory, that the Senate do now
adjourn.

GLOWING EULOGIES. 657

The resolutions were then adopted unanimously,
and, on motion of Mr. Hawley, the presiding officer
was requested to appoint a committee of five Senators
to attend the funeral of General Sherman. The Senate
then, at 5 o'clock, adjourned till Monday at 1 1 a. m.

In the House of Representatives.

The President's message announcing General Sher-
i.an's death was received in the House about three
u^ oiock. Speaker Reed, after consultation with Mr.
Cutv\leon of Michigan and a few others, decided, in
view '>f the near expiration of the Congress, and of
the nev\^ssity of getting the appropriation bills over
:o the Sevate as soon as possible, that It would not be
advisable fc lay the message before the House undl
.:iear the ujluU time of adjournment. It was then re-
%rred to the Cv^mmittee on Military Affairs, which will
report appropncVie resoludons of respect and recom.
mend that the Hc>\.se take part in the funeral services
if that be in consont^uce with the feelings of the family.

General CutcheoA, :,hairman of the Committee on
Military Affairs, refe<^r^vi feelingly to the fact that
General Sherman's death removed the last of the three
great Union generals. M\ Cutcheon served under
General Sherman only a sht/rr dme, but was attached
to General Burnside's commauc^ when General Sher-
man came to its relief

"I regard General Sherman,' sa^d Mr. Cutcheon,
" as the greatest strategist developed by the war. I
should say that Grant was the greatest in his firmness
and his unfaltering courage and confidence in his

658 GENERAL SHERMAK.

ability to succeed. He was also great in his spirit of
magnanimity. Sherman knew more of the art and
science of war. Sheridan was the most brilHant fig-hter.

o

Sherman was also great as a patriot and as a man. This
passage from his memoirs, I think, is the key to the cha-
racter of the whole man : it was at the outbreak of the
war, when Sherman was in Louisiana: ' On no earthly
account will I do any act or think any thought hostile
to or in defiance of the old Government of the United
States; "

Warm Tribute from Mr. Blaine.

Members of the Cabinet spoke feelingly of the
death of General Sherman. Secretary Blaine said he
could remember him personally from the time he wa?
graduated at West Point, fifty years ago, when he was.
himself a schoolboy of ten years.

" For more than thirty years," continued Mr.
Blaine, " by reason of family connections, I had
known him very intimately. Of his many and great
qualities on his public side I do not care to speak.
General Sherman's military history is a part, and a
large part, of the proudest annals of the nation. He
did not grow less in the intimacy of private life or by
the fireside in his own home. He had the kindest of
hearts and the most chivalric devotion to those he
loved. He was one of the warmest friends to those
for whom he professed friendship. He was frank,
just and magnanimous. He spoke and wrote with a
freedom that almost seemed reckless, and oftentimes
was misunderstood, as when he wrote his own

GLOWING EULOGIES. 65%

memoirs. His death seemed premature. Seeing
him very often, I had discovered no decay in the acute-
ness of his senses except in a sHght loss of hearing.
I saw him last summer at Bar Harbor for a consider-
able period, and his brightness of talk and his enjoy-
ment of life, especially with the young, seemed as
natural and marked as ever, but at the same time I
had in some way gained the impression in talking
with him that he had no expectation of a long life."

Secretary Noble's Paiieg-yric.

Secretary Noble said : " I feel a great personal
grief at the loss of General Sherman, my friend for
many years. I was born in Lancaster, where he was.
His father was my father's friend, and while I retain
for him the admiration that all Americans and the
whole world must, I feel that one has gone from me
b) whose approval my personal action in life has
been greatly influenced. I served under him in the
war, and had been honored by his friendship and per-
sonal intercourse in St. Louis, New York, and Wash^
ington since. His miUtary achievements in the
service of the republic are a part of the history of
our country ; but great as his talents as a commander
were, they were equalled by the beautiful traits of his
character that made him the instructive companion,
the genial friend, and wise counsellor that he was.
He was as tender and kind in private life as he was
great and successful in war. His literary taste was
most wonderful, and his memory, not only of events and
facts, but even of figures and statistics, was unfailing.

560 GENEEAL SHERMAN.

" His love for his comrades-in-arms was like that of
a father for his children. His love embraced all our
people. Among the first events in my official life
here was a visit from General Sherman, voluntarily
made in behalf of General Joseph Johnston, of whom
he spoke in the highest terms. He was as ready to
support any man when friendly to the Government
as he was uncompromising to all its enemies. He
was as grand a patriot as ever lived, and I believe
that his services, his speeches, and examples will have
a happy influence upon our country through all its
history. This is no time nor place to attempt to
speak of all that was valuable and admirable in the
career and character of General Sherman. May God
bless and console his family, and raise up other men
like him for the support and protection of our
republic !"

A Man of "Pure Gold."

Postmaster-General Wanamaker said : " I had only
ten years' personal acquaintanceship with General
Sherman, but even a much shorter time would have
drawn me to him closely. He never seemed to me
like an old man, and always woke up in me all the
boy that was in me. I was never where he was that I
could get near to him that we did not put our arms
around each other. The ring of his words and ways
showed that he was made of pure gold. No man
that I ever knew combined in such a degree the cour-
age of a lion, the loving gentleness of a woman, and
the simplicity of a child. The sunset of his career

GLOWING EULOGIES. 561

^as been as gorgeous and beautiful as the glory of
his great campaign."

Attorney-General Miller said : " In General Sher-
man's death the world has lost the first of its military
men. At least there is no one surviving at all com-
parable to him, unless it be the great German marshal
Von Moltke. He was not only a great soldier, but he
was wise in all public affairs. He was, perhaps, the
first to appreciate, or at least the first to announce,
the magnitude of the nation's task in suppressing the
j^reat rebellion. In this he was ahead of his contem-
poraries, and, as usual with men ahead of the times,
he was thought to be wild, not to say crazy. Events,
however, more than justified his declarations. I have
met General Sherman a good many times, but had no
close relations with him. One thing especially struck
me in the great Centennial review in New Yc"k.
There he stood by the side of the President. No
matter what else might be claiming his attention, he
never failed to take off his hat and salute the flag.
He might let the men pass without recognition, but
never the flag. Very few men have ever been so
close to the hearts of the people of the United States
as General Sherman.

From Old Comrades.

General Henry W. Slocum, in speaking of General
Sherman, said that he felt that he had lost his best
friend. In Sherman's famous march General Slocum
was in command of the left wing, and the friendship
then formed survived the war and became stronger

662 GENERAL SHERMAN.

with each succeeding year. He and General Sher-
man were much together of late years. At pubHc
dinners which they both attended it was always to be
noticed that the two veterans seemed to enjoy, fully
as much as anything, getting together and talking
over the interesting story of the war.

General Slocum joined Sherman's expedition at
Atlanta, and was with it from that time until the
close of the war. Every other day General Sherman
rode with him. On these occasions General Sher-
man, who was a great talker, was as entertaining a
companion as could well be imagined. His conversa-
tion covered a wide range of subjects, but touched
JIghtly on the one subject which at that time possessed
the greatest interest, not only for General Slocum,
but for the whole country — the march itself and what
was expected of it.

General Sherman's appearance at this time. Gen-
eral Slocum says, was about the same as it was In
later years. He was angular, nervous, but giving
every one the impression of being a man of great de-
termination. At the same time he was of a sanguine
temperament.

'' From the time he started on the expedition, ' said
General Slocum, "he never seemed for a moment to
doubc that it would ultimately prove successful. Noth-
ing seemed to shake his faith in this respect. He
never discussed his plans with me to any extent. It
was not his habit to discuss them with his subordinates.
He preferred saying little about what he intended to

GLOWING EULOGIES. 563

do until It be'^ame necessary. His self-reliance was
remarkable."

The Army Idolized Him.

With his troops, General Slocum said, General
Sherman was exceedingly popular. This was perhaps
but natural, as he had led them to success, and a com-
mander in such a position generally is popular. While
possibly he v;a'i not generous with his men, he was
always just, anJ this fact they recognized and honored
him for. Hi'p li^jnse of justice caused him to be severe
in his treacrrent of those who failed to do their duty.
He alway* (ooked well after the welfare of those
under hi*: command, and was never above h»,ving a
pleasant vjord for his men. Yet he was none the
less a soldier, a man of deeds.

Speaking of the feeling of the Southern people
against General Sherman, which was probably stronger
than that felt against any other Northern general,
General Slocum said that it had never been General
Sherman's wish or intention to cause any unnecessary
suffering to the people in the country through which
he was marching. For the burning of Columbia he
was in no way responsible. Yet he was charged with
it, with much bitterness, by the Southern people. As
a matter of fact, the inhabitants of the place were
themselves to blame for its burning. They had filled
the streets with cotton, and when Sherman's army
marched in, thinking to propitiate the soldiers, they
had waylaid them with whiskey, which they gave to
them in tin cups, as much as they would take, until

664 GENERAL SHERMAN.

every ugly fellow in the ranks was still uglier and
half drunk.

Sorrows of War.

" General Sherman," said General Slocum, '* always
expressed great regret at the suffering caused by the
burning of Columbia. He talked with me about it at
the time, and frequently spoke of it after the war.
Nothing was further from his intentions than that the
city should be burned. He strove to burn everything
useful to the Confederates ; nothing else. When we
first crossed into South Carolina, we found we were
walking on torpedoes planted in the road, and the
troops did some burning on their own account, but
General Sherman put a stop to it as soon as possible."

One of the most astonishing things about General
Sherman, General Slocum declared, was his memory.
He never seemed to forget anything which he met
with, and which he thought might at any future time
be of use to him. Having been stationed at Charles-
ton before the war, he seemed to have the whole
topography of the State at command. Frequently he
was able to give information which wa^. not found on
the map which General Slocum had with him. When
asked how he came s know some particular thing
about the country, he would say that he had noticed
it several years before.

Tribute from General Howard.

Major-General O. O. Howard, commanding the
Division of the Atlantic, was much affected by the
death of his old comrade and friend. He talked for a

GLOWING EULOGIES. 565

few moments regarding the dead commander, and his
voice trembled as he spoke.

"General Shermai^," he said, "has permitted me
during the last two years in which I have been sta-
tioned in the vicinity of his home to be particularly
intimate with him. He never seemed like a fellow-
officer so much as like a father or elderly friend. So
to-night my heart bleedn at his loss. When did I first
meet him ? I think it was shortly before the first
batde of Bull Run, and after that I was with him at
Chattanooga and on the march to the sea. My per
sonal acquaintanceship with him did* not really begin
until 1863."

Reininiscences hy General King-.

Said General Horatio C. King: "The announce-
ment of General Sherman's death is a ereat shock to
me, as I have had a strong hope that he would pull
through. I regard it as one of the greatest privileges
of my life that I have been favored with the close
friendship of General Sherman. He was the most in-
teresting conversationalist I have ever met, and his
fund of reminiscences was seemingly inexhaustible.
I shall never forget the first address he made at one
of our army reunions held in Philadelphia, June 6, of
the Centennial year. The meeting was in the
Academy of Music. He made quite a long and
patriotic off-hand address, in which he counselled ten-
derness toward the South. 'Let us,' he said, 'forgive
and forget — provided they will do the same.'

"General Sherman has felt of late years that his

566 GENERAL SHERMAN.

Strength was being too strongly taxed by the in-
cessant social demands upon him. He never could
refuse his old Western associates, but I had some
difficulty to persuade him that he had as many friends
in the East. At Saratoga Springs in 1887 he gave
me a most laughable scoring for my persistence. He
said: * By the law of our land, which is the only
king we worship, I was turned out to grass, and I
was told that I could spend the rest of my days in
peace and retirement. I sought refuge in the city of
St. Louis ; I found but little peace there. But I read,
[ think in Dr. Johnson, that peace and quiet could
only be had in a great city or forest — in Nature's
wilderness. I therefore sought it in New York City.'
Then General Sherman told his famous story of Cap-
tain Bonneville. Bonneville, it seemed, wanted peace
and quiet. He asked for two years' leave of absence,
and got it, and he went out to the mountains where
Salt Lake now is. He caught beavers and otter and
fished, and the Crows came and cleaned him out,
and he kept out of the way for two years more.
He was reported dead. He went to the adjutant-
general and reported, but the adjutant says: 'Bon-
neville is dead.' — He says : ' I am not dead.' — ' Oh
yes,' said the adjutant, ' you are dead ; you are as
dead as a mackeral. Go away from here and don't
disturb the record.'

" Sherman is the last of the great triumvirate of
generals — Grant, Sherman and Sheridan — for in that
order they will always be named ; yet to my think-

GLOWING EULOGIES. 567

ing Sherman possessed the highest miHtary genius,
and as a strategist had not his equal in the war of
the rebeUion."

Tributes from Abroad.

Lord Wolseley, who is beHeved to be the best
informed man in the British army, said: "I join the
people of the United States in their regret at General
Sherman's death, for his loss is not confined to
America, but is shared by all military people."

Asked what he thought of Sherman as a military
commander, Lord Wolseley replied that it was a
difficult matter for an outsider to make comparisons,
but, speaking purely from a military point of view, he
ii-.doubtedly would place Sherman at the head of all
the Northern commanders as a strateg^ist. Sherman
show?,d great power, and in this he excelled all
others, while in the achievements for which he was
most famous — notably his march to the sea — he dis-
played a dash combined with strategical skill that at
once proved his great power.

Colonel Hugh McCalmont, C. B., who has seen
much service in India, and who was the officer com-
manding the Fourth (Royal Irish) Dragoon Guards
at Dublin, said with great feeling that in his judg-
ment Grant would not have been able to break down
the heroic opposition of Lee if it had not been for the
genius of Sherman, whose march to the sea was the
grandest thing of its kind in history. He especially
admired Sherman because he was a pukka general
(pukka in India means real, genuine), also because be

568 GENERAL SHERMAN. -"' y ^^

UJ^ (^ ^^"^^

was a soldier solely, having resolutely refused to" go

in for politics.

One of the most accomplished and best-read staff
officers in the British army is Colonel S. F. Maurice,
of the Royal Artillery, at present professor of Military
Art and History at the Staff College. He said: ''I
have long considered the Atlanta campaign of Sher-
man as one of the most valuable lessons in war
furnished by our time. The feature of Sherman's
career which has always impressed me with the most
interest as a man was the generosity with whicL, after
he had himself opposed Grant's arrangements for the
Vicksburg campaign, he immediately afterward on
the spot and at the time confessed himself in the
w^ong, and used all his military genius to poin' ^ut
the skill, foresight and importance of what Grant had
iione. The mode in which Sherman talked to influ-
ential politicians and others of those very achievements
of Grant became the starting-point of Grant's great
career. To a large extent the United States owe to
Sherman's generosity of character and to his military
clearness of vision the ultimate selection of Grant as
the general who carried their armies to success."

Similar tributes from Von Moltke and other great
military heroes show the estimate placed upon the
renowned co-mmander who now lies in death, " his
martial cloak wrapped around him."